Washington defensive lineman Daron Payne had a punch thrown at him by a teammate on Sunday night, but he insists there are no hard feelings.
Payne and fellow Washington defensive tackle Jonathan Allen were shown in a heated altercation on the sideline during the first half of their team’s blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Teammates had to separate the two after Allen threw a punch at Payne. The two apparently sorted out their differences, as Payne told reporters after the game that he and Allen are “all good.”
Daron Payne, on his fight with Jonathan Allen: "You got brothers? You guys fight, right?"
Asked if they're good now: "It's all good."
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) December 27, 2021
Washington head coach Ron Rivera said he spoke to both players and there will be no disciplinary action.
Ron Rivera told reporters that he spoke with Payne, Allen. Said he'll keep what they said to himself. Said no disciplinary action… Stems from frustration, wanting to win etc
— John Keim (@john_keim) December 27, 2021
The incident took place after Dallas scored a touchdown in the second quarter to go up 28-7. Payne was seen talking to Allen, who was sitting next to him. Payne then stood up and even pointed a finger in Allen’s face. The finger touching him seemed to cross a line for Allen, who stood up and threw a punch at Payne. You can see the video here.
NBC’s Cris Collinsworth said he has never seen such an animated altercation between teammates on the sideline, which is significant. Payne and Allen were also teammates at Alabama, so perhaps it was more like a fight between two brothers.
