Kris Rhim, ESPN
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh advised reporters Wednesday that he was dissatisfied and disagreed with the NFL's decision to suspend security Derwin James Jr. for Sunday's sport in opposition to the Kansas City Chiefs.
James was suspended for a success to Pittsburgh Steelers tight finish Pat Freiermuth in the third quarter of Los Angeles' 20-10 loss this previous Sunday. James was flagged for pointless roughness throughout the sport. Harbaugh mentioned Freiermuth's positioning precipitated James' unlawful hit.
“There was not a defenseless player; [he] changed his course, and I thought that Derwin's helmet was stiff-armed by Mr. Freiermuth,” he mentioned. “I thought [the stiff-arm] caused his head to make the contact and I thought the contact was first with the forearm, then the shoulder, then the head.”
Harbaugh mentioned James' deal with appeared to be exactly what the league is on the lookout for in phrases of taking “your head out of the game.”
“You can never really take the head out of the game because it's in between the two shoulders,” he mentioned. “Trying to tackle with the shoulder, now the head, and the helmets coming with it. It's in between the two shoulders. So, to the best of his human ability, he is trying to do that.”
James has had seven pointless roughness penalties since he entered the NFL in 2018, the second most in the league in that span. Harbaugh mentioned that James has made a concerted effort to keep away from these penalties, typically permitting additional yards in video games as a result of he braces earlier than hits to keep away from flags.
“He has reached out on his own to officials this past summer to gain a better grasp of how they want it done,” Harbaugh mentioned. “And the evidence is right there in the tape. I mean, look at all his 20-some tackles on the season and he's going out his way … so that he can not injure another player or hit him with the head. So yeah, I'm disappointed.”
Harbaugh mentioned that James “genuinely doesn't want to hurt anyone” and he wasn't upset along with his participant.
In the NFL's announcement, vp of soccer operations Jon Runyan wrote that video reveals James lowered his head on the hit, making unlawful, forcible contact along with his helmet that James might have prevented.
“Your continued disregard for NFL playing rules will not be tolerated,” Runyan wrote. “Substantial penalties are warranted when players violate the rules intended to protect player safety on a repeated basis, particularly when the violations carry with them a significant risk of injury to an opposing player.”
James appealed the suspension, however it was upheld by listening to officer Derrick Brooks, who's collectively appointed by the NFL and NFL Players' Association.
The Chargers' backup safeties embody Elijah Molden and AJ Finley. Molden had an interception that earned him a sport ball in the Chargers' Week 2 win over the Carolina Panthers.
