The hit helped Washington force a third-down punt against Los Angeles. No flag came out, but the NFL later fined Martin for contact with a defenseless player.

The NFL fined Washington Commanders safety Quan Martin $17,911 for a hit on Tutu Atwell that officials did not flag in the 20–13 loss to the Rams. Washington got the third-down stop. Six days later, Martin appeared on the league’s Week 9 fine list for unnecessary roughness, listed as a hit on a defenseless player.

The official gamebook places the play at 9:22 of the second quarter. Los Angeles faced third-and-2 at its own 28, and Matthew Stafford went to Atwell over the middle (the play is the second video below in the X embed). The pass fell incomplete, with Martin credited on the play. The Rams punted for the second straight possession. That stop was part of a day when Washington held Los Angeles to 3 of 14 on third down. Luke McCaffrey returned the kick 10 yards to Washington’s 29, and the Commanders moved the chains once before punting it back. Washington led 10–3 at the time.

Had Martin been flagged then, the Rams would have had a first down. Instead, the stop held up in the gamebook, and the fine came later. The NFL reviews every play for potential violations, whether the officials called a penalty or not. Its public list doesn’t spell out what part of Martin’s contact prompted the fine. He can appeal, though the listing doesn’t say whether he will.

Former Washington cornerback Emmanuel Forbes also received a fine for a play in that game. The Rams had asked Forbes to do more with Jaylen Watson out before the game. The NFL assessed him $10,839 for a separate second-quarter incident it described as striking, kicking, or kneeing. Officials flagged Forbes at 12:25, giving Washington 15 yards and a first down.

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