The NFL announced Monday that Chargers S Derwin James Jr. has been suspended without pay for one game for repeated violations of playing rules intended to protect the health and safety of players.
The suspension stems from a hit James made on Steelers TE Pat Freirmuth in the third quarter of Sunday’s game.
NFL VP of Football Ops Jon Runyan wrote the following to James in a letter:
“During the third quarter of Sunday’s Chargers-Steelers game you were involved in a play that the League considers a serious violation of the playing rules. The video of the play shows that you lowered your head and made forcible contact to Steelers tight end, Pat Freiermuth. You had an unobstructed path to your opponent and the illegal contact could have been avoided.”
“Your continued disregard for NFL playing rules will not be tolerated. 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 can appeal the suspension.
James, 28, is the former 17th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Chargers. He finished the fourth year of a four-year, $12.388 million dollar rookie contract that included a $7.090 million dollar signing bonus.
The Chargers then picked up his fifth-year option back in April of 2021, meaning James had one year left on his current deal and was scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in 2023.
He returned in 2021 after missing all but five games of the 2019 season and missed the entire 2020 season due to injury. James later signed a four-year, $76.4 million extension with the Chargers back in 2022.
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