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(Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Head coach Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos and Washington Commanders took the field for “Sunday Night Football,” but a play from outside linebacker Nik Bonitto could garner attention from the league in the coming days.
Bonitto is a key part of the NFL’s most ferocious pass rush.
However, one interaction, which ended up involving a pair of Commanders players, could leave him lighter in the pocket.
Broncos’ Nik Bonitto Could Face Costly Punishment From NFL
GettyNik Bonitto #15 of the Denver Broncos reacts after defeating the Las Vegas Raiders.
Bonitto and the Broncos led the Commanders 6-0 when the 2024 Pro Bowler and Second Team All-Pro attempted to pull Washington center Tyler Biadasz as he appeared to be yanking at the leg of John Franklin-Myers.
The play drew a flag for unnecessary roughness, costing the Broncos 8 yards (half the distance to the goal) on a first-and-15 for the Commanders, who scored on the ensuing play.
“Don’t see why Nik Bonitto gets flagged here,” DNVR’s Ryan Green posted on X, with a clip.
9News’ Mike Klis noted on X that “The penalty on Bonitto wiped out a great play by Zach Allen, then got Washington center Tyler Biadasz so mad he blew open a huge hole up the middle for 8-yrd TD run by [Chris] Rodriguez.”
“Can see … Nik Bonitto pulls Biadasz because he’s still tangled up (on the turf) with John Franklin-Myers,” The Denver Post’s Luca Evans posted on X.
“Didn’t look like Biadasz was trying anything with JFM.”
The bigger issue for Bonitto is that the league could levy a fine over the incident, with precedent set in past instances. Former New England Patriots defensive back Eric Rowe received a $12,154 fine for it in 2017.
The difference there is that Rowe’s penalty was deemed “unsportsmanlike conduct.” That carries fines from $14,491 to $20,288.
It is notably not what officials ruled during the game.
Nik Bonitto Could Have Recent History on His Side
GettyNik Bonitto #15 of the Denver Broncos celebrates a sack against the Tennessee Titans.
The official rule, as stated in Section 12, Article 8, Item H, is that “pulling an opponent off a pile of players in an aggressive or forcible manner,” with Biadasz and Franklin-Myers likely constituting the “pile.”
The penalty is typically 15 yards and can result in players being disqualified if their actions are deemed flagrant.
In that sense, Bonitto and the Broncos were fortunate.
Bonitto is on a four-year, $106 million contract, with more than $38 million in guaranteed money.
The fine will be a fraction of his current deal. It may not even come. The league may deem that his infraction does not meet their criteria. They did not fine Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr., despite him drawing a flag, in 2023.
However, that is only part of the rub for Bonitto and the Broncos.
Commanders Player Gets Away With Shove on Nik Bonitto
GettyLarmey Tunsil #78 of the Washington Commanders looks on against the Green Bay Packers.
To make matters worse for Bonitto and the Broncos, Commanders left tackle Laremy Tunsil took issue with the OLB’s actions and pushed him.
However, the officials did not throw a flag and penalize Tunsil.
“I’m trying to figure out how no official saw Laremy Tunsil’s shove,” Denver Sports’ Andrew Mason posted on X on November 30. “Bonitto ABSOLUTELY committed a penalty there, but it was like the rest of it was memory-holed.”
The Broncos entered Week 13 as the third-most-penalized team in the NFL, per The Football Database.
However, that stands out when there are clear inconsistencies in the NFL’s officiating.
“The unsportsmanlike conduct penalty should have been offsetting,” DNVR’s Zac Stevens posted on X after the call during the game. “Don’t know how they didn’t call a penalty on the Commanders player who pushed Bonitto over.”
The NFL typically announces punishments levied from a game on the following Saturday. That gives Bonitto and the Broncos some time before they know for sure which way the league went.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has covered both leagues since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He’s based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter
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