The Washington Commanders dropped to 3–7 after losing to the Detroit Lions in Week 10, marking their fifth straight defeat since starting the season 3–2.
The loss wasn’t the only setback. Star defensive tackle Daron Payne was thrown out of the game for punching Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown — even though later footage showed St. Brown had taken a swing at Payne earlier. Payne ended up receiving a one-game suspension for his role in the altercation.
But Payne wasn’t the only Washington player disciplined. The NFL issued a significant fine to defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw for making contact with an official. However, the punishment that truly angered the fanbase was a $46,371 fine against special teamer Ale Kaho for a “use of helmet” penalty on a play in which he actually suffered a concussion. The information was first reported by Commanders beat writer Nicki Jhabvala.
Reporter Ben Standig highlighted that the fine was almost equal to one week of Kaho’s pay. Because Kaho makes $840,000 for the season — about $46,667 per week over 18 weeks — Standig noted the undrafted rookie essentially earned only $296 before taxes for the week, sparking outrage among fans.
One fan argued that fines should be based on a percentage of a player’s salary, a sentiment echoed repeatedly online. Others expressed confusion, saying they believed the league already took salary into account when issuing fines and wondered what Kaho did to warrant such a steep penalty.
Kaho has been ruled out for Washington’s upcoming matchup against the Miami Dolphins.
