NFL drops the hammer on Buffalo Bills defender for a block that could come back to bite him later in the season
The fine stems from Week 1, but the bigger story is a new NFL repeat-offender policy that could cost Franklin a game before the season is over.
The NFL dropped the hammer on Buffalo Bills safety Sam Franklin, fining him $9,425 for a blindside block in Week 1. The fine itself is notable, but the real story is what it means under the league’s new disciplinary framework. Franklin now finds himself in a precarious position that could cost him a game if he’s not careful going forward.
The fine stems from Buffalo’s season opener. The Bills have played two games, but the league is just now catching up with its Week 1 penalties.
Why this fine is more dangerous than it looks
The fine alone would be a footnote. What makes it significant is the NFL’s new repeat-offender policy instituted this offseason. The league created five categories of fouls that carry an automatic one-game suspension if a player accumulates three or more violations in a single season, barring appeal.
A blindside block falls into one of those five categories. That means Franklin already has one strike against him. If he commits another blindside block, or any foul that falls into one of those five categories, and then does it a third time during the regular season, he will be suspended for a game automatically.
Sam Franklin needs to clean it up
For Franklin, the margin for error just shrank considerably. One infraction in Week 1 has put him on the NFL’s radar, and the new system is designed to escalate quickly. Two more qualifying fouls at any point this season, and Buffalo loses him for a game with no say in the matter outside of the appeals process.
The bottom line is that the NFL isn’t just increasing fines and flagging illegal plays anymore. The league is now willing to take players off the field entirely if the behavior persists. Franklin is officially on that list, and the Bills need him to stay off it for the remaining 15 games.
It’s a new wrinkle in how the NFL polices dangerous play, and Sam Franklin is among the first to feel its weight.
