NFL Announces Punishment Decision After DeMarcus Lawrence Incident

Mark J&period; Rebilas-Imagn Images

NFL Announces Punishment Decision After DeMarcus Lawrence Incident

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Will Chesanek | Last updated Oct 4, 2026 2:19 PM ET

DeMarcus Lawrence and the Seattle Seahawks suffered a close 33-31 loss to Dan Quinn and the Washington Commanders on Sunday. Seattle and its head coach, Mike Macdonald, had their 12-game win streak dating back to last season snapped and are 2-1 as they head into their Week 4 matchup against Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers.

Rookie Seahawks running back Jadarian Price was bottled up in the matchup, rushing five times for 15 yards, leaving quarterback Sam Darnold to carry the load. Darnold completed 31 of 45 passes for 379 yards to go along with four touchdowns and two interceptions.

Nov 16, 2025; Inglewood, California; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is pressured by Seattle Seahawks linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence during the game at SoFi Stadium.Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was Darnold’s main target, finishing with game highs in all three receiving triple-crown categories with 10 receptions for 128 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The Commanders went with Marcus Mariota in the matchup due to the injury to star Jayden Daniels. During the matchup, Lawrence had an incident with the backup quarterback that caught the league’s attention.

Near the end of the second quarter, Lawrence made a hit to the head and neck area of Mariota, resulting in an unnecessary roughness penalty for roughing the passer. On Saturday, the NFL revealed the fines from Week 3 of the 2026 regular season, and the 6-foot-3 defensive lineman was on the list. Lawrence was fined $17,911 for the hit.

#Seahawks DeMarcus Lawrence and Brady Russell were both fined in the Week 3 loss against the #Commanders.

Lawrence was fined for a QB hit that was delivered below the head/neck area. He was fined $17,911

Russell was fined for an unnecessary roughness infraction for $11,111.…
— HawkMania (@hawkmania4) October 3, 2026