Jonathan Allen Throws Punch at Teammate Daron Payne on Sidelines

Payne put his hand in the defensive tackle’s face and he responded with a punch.

Things got ugly Sunday night for the Washington Football Team and not just on the scoreboard. During the second quarter against the Cowboys, Washington defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne were involved in an altercation on the sideline where a punch was thrown. 

The NBC broadcast caught a moment where the two linemen were exchanging words while sitting on the bench. Payne stood up from the bench where Allen was sitting and stuck his finger in his face. 

Update on Washington’s night on defense. pic.twitter.com/ozv8sdC1hV

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) December 27, 2021

Allen immediately swiped Payne’s hand away and threw a punch at his face. The two were surrounded by teammates and were separated. At the time of the altercation, Dallas had just gone up 28–7 with Washington’s defense reeling.    

It’s unclear what prompted the punch to be thrown, but both players have an extensive history with each other. The two played at Alabama together and have been teammates in Washington for the past four seasons. Allen was drafted by Washington in 2017 while Payne was drafted in 2018.