Commanders DL will help John Ridgeway pay fine for suplexing Dameon Pierce

The Washington Commanders’ claiming John Ridgeway from the Dallas Cowboys looks better with each passing week. While Ridgeway was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct that allowed the Vikings, who were attempting a field, to get a fresh set of downs and effectively end the game by milking the clock.

That penalty aside, Ridgeway’s been a fantastic addition for Washington. He’s been everything fans thought they were getting from rookie Phidarian Mathis, who suffered a season-ending meniscus injury in Week 1 vs the Jaguars.

The only weakness in Ridgeway’s game thus far has been his propensity to commit boneheaded penalties. That’s a big problem at face value, but his latest flag against the Texans in Week 12 drew more laughs from fans than scrutiny.

Early in the third quarter, Ridgeway made a tackle on Texans rookie running back Dameon Pierce that was an easy unnecessary roughness call for the refs. Rather than bearhug Pierce and use his body weight to complete the tackle, Ridgeway lifted the talented back and executed a perfect body slam.

It was a wholly unnecessary play by Ridgeway, who had Pierce stopped in his tracks, and his wallet is going to pay the price once the NFL announces its round of fines from Week 11. Luckily, Ridgeway will have some help to pay the fine.

Commanders DL will help pay John Ridgeway’s fine after he body-slammed Texans RB Dameon Pierce in Week 11.

"“I don’t know where [Ridgeway] was drafted at. I’m not sure,” Jonathan Allen told the Sports Junkies. “So me, [Daron] Payne and Montez [Sweat] agreed to take one-fourth of the fine he’s going to get. It’s going to be massive.“If we didn’t help him out, I think he’d be playing the month of December for free,” Allen continued. “We all said we’re going to take one-fourth of the fine – me, Payne and Sweat – and he’s going to pay the other fourth.”"

While Jon Allen, Daron Payne and Montez Sweat are offering their assistance, it might be Ridgeway’s one and only get out of jail free card.

"“He’s a young guy, he’s trying to play hard. I mean, I like it, I think it’s football,” Allen said. “But we did say the next one you’re on your own. But this first one we’ll help you out, because I don’t know what the fine is going to be.”"

That’s the tough love you’d expect from a veteran like Allen. It’s anyone’s guess what the fine will amount to, but odds are it’s going to be expensive, knowing the NFL. As a fifth-round pick of the Cowboys (still hard to believe they let him go), Ridgeway has just a $705,000 base salary and $626,667 cap hit for 2022.

The standard fine for unsportsmanlike conduct penalties are $13,261 for first-time offenders, according to league rules.

Superstars tend to laugh off fines — some even welcome them and commit flags on purpose knowing they’ll be fined — but that’s because they make more in one game than most rookies do for an entire 17-game season.

It’s pocket change to them. It’s a different story for Ridgeway, so credit to Allen, Payne and Sweat for coming to the rescue. The fact they even want to help is a testament to how tight-knit Washington’s defensive line (and locker room) is.

As Allen said, though, this better be a one-time offense for the rookie. Next time, the former first-round picks won’t be so noble.