The NFL punished 14 players for infractions during Week 15 games, including three players from Alabama high schools and universities.
The three state players were not penalized on the field for any of the plays that the NFL mentioned, and on Saturday it issued the sanctions for the games played last week.
Among the athletes with Alabama ties who were hit with fines were:
· Brian Branch, an Alabama defensive back for the Detroit Lions, was fined $8,103 for needless roughness. The NFL attributed the fine to Branch’s pass breakup during the first quarter of the Lions’ 42-17 victory over the Broncos on Saturday.
· Daron Payne, a defensive tackle with the Washington Commanders (Shades Valley, Alabama), was fined $10,927 for needless roughness. In the second quarter of Washington’s 28-20 loss on Sunday, Payne’s actions during a fumble lost by the Los Angeles Rams were highlighted by the NFL.
· Za’Darius Smith, a Greenville native and defensive end with the Cleveland Browns, was fined $16,391 for hitting a quarterback. The NFL attributed the fine to Smith’s hit on Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields on the game’s last play of the first half. The play paid off, as the Browns won 20-17 on Sunday thanks to an interception.
Branch was fined three times this season, Smith twice, and Payne once.
