Michael Blackson says Washington should go easy on Montae Nicholson -- because with all the issues involving NFL players these days, it coulda been way worse.
We broke the story ... the Redskins safety was caught on video KOing a man in a street fight with a devastating left-handed power shot. Nicholson and another woman were later arrested.
Some people say Nicholson took things too far -- and should have walked away from the fight before knocking his opponent out cold.
Enter Blackson -- a man never short on opinions.
"Street fight man. Street fight not over until it's over. These guys are NFL players but at the end of the day, they're still fighters that gotta defend themselves."
Blackson even saw a silver lining to this particular NFL fight.
"At least he knocked out a GUY. He didn't knock no woman out. These guys been knocking out the women, that's the wrong thing to do. Go fight a man."