A violent sideline brawl marred the New York Giants' 34-10 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, with cornerback Rico Payton at the centre of shocking footage that later circulated on social media.
Sideline Scuffle Turns Ugly
The incident, captured by a fan's camera in the front row, began when Payton and Raiders player Chigozie Anusiem clashed near the Giants' bench area. Payton shoved Anusiem into a sideline water station before the Raiders player retaliated, taking Payton to the ground.
Both men then scuffled on the turf, appearing to throw punches. As several Giants teammates rushed to intervene and separate the pair, the situation seemed to be coming under control. However, fan video later revealed a moment where Payton, seemingly seeing red, delivered a clear stomp towards the helmet of Anusiem, who was still on the ground amidst the tumult.
Game Context and Draft Fallout
The unsavoury incident overshadowed what was a rare win for the Giants, who snapped a nine-game losing streak with their triumph in Sin City. The victory, however, came with a significant strategic cost: it caused the Giants to relinquish the number one overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Raiders, now 2-14 after their tenth consecutive loss, are now in pole position for the top selection. The Giants, improving to 3-13, sit second in the draft order heading into the final weekend of the regular season, where they will host the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium.
Raiders' Injury Blow for Finale
In further bad news for Las Vegas, head coach Pete Carroll confirmed after the defeat that starting quarterback Geno Smith suffered a high ankle sprain and will miss the season finale against the Kansas City Chiefs.
"It's very difficult to recover from that," Carroll stated. "That could rule him out for next week, we'll have to wait and see." Smith is under contract with the Raiders through the 2027 season, likely securing his roster spot for next year even if the team selects a quarterback with the expected first overall pick.
Indiana Hoosiers' Heisman Trophy winner, Fernando Mendoza, is currently the favourite to be the first player selected by whichever team secures that coveted top draft position.
