After Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne was ejected from Sunday’s loss to the Lions for punching Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, Payne’s teammate Javon Kinlaw said that Payne was retaliating after St. Brown punched Payne a few plays earlier.

Kinlaw said he didn’t blame Payne for retaliating and said an official “literally saw the first punch” without penalizing the wideout. St. Brown did not say anything about throwing a punch, but did acknowledge the prior interaction between the players.

“I mean, I think two plays before that, we got into a little scuffle , back and forth, whatever, this, that, and the other,” St. Brown said, via Nicki Jhabvala of TheAthletic.com. “And then we end up scoring, and I go up to him. I say a little something, nothing crazy, and then he deci

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