Copyright Athlon Sports
The NFL has handed down punishment following Sunday’s slate of Week 9 fixtures, and Frankie Luvu has learned his fate. The Washington Commanders linebacker has been suspended for one game without pay for repeated violations of playing rules intended to protect the health and safety of players, per NFL Communications. Luvu is said to have committed an infraction as recently as Sunday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The outing came at a regrettable cost, as Washington has likely lost three players for the remainder of the season, including hotshot quarterback Jayden Daniels, who sustained a dislocated elbow midway through the fourth quarter. Wide receiver and kick returner Luke McCaffrey has since been diagnosed with a broken collarbone, while cornerback Marshon Lattimore suffered a torn ACL. The Commanders are now also set to be without Luvu, who was accused of employing a hip-drop tackle during the first quarter of Sunday’s game. “This is Luvu’s third hip-drop tackle of the season. He was previously fined for actions in Week 4 and Week 8,” the league noted in a statement on Monday. Luvu’s suspension means he won’t be able to suit up against the Detroit Lions next Sunday. He will be eligible to return to Washington’s active roster the following day. He can appeal the suspension if he chooses. Washington, meanwhile, has hardly been at full strength this season, while they’re a shadow of the team that pushed all the way through to the NFC Championship Game in 2024. Their playoff prospects were already slim before Sunday; now, they’re all but over.
