Former Patriots and current Washington safety Brandon Meriweather was suspended two games without pay for repeatedly violating the NFL’s rules regarding illegal hits to the head and neck of “defenseless players.”
Brandon Meriweather (AP)
The NFL made the decision to suspend the two-time Pro Bowler on Monday after Meriweather delivered two illegal hits during Washington’s game against the Bears on Sunday.
Chicago wideout Brandon Marshall, who was on the receiving end of one of Meriweather’s hits, said after the game that players like Meriweather should not be in the league.
“Guys like that really don’t understand that there is life after football,” Marshall said.
Meriweather is set to be reinstated on Nov. 4. He will miss Washington’s games against the Broncos and the Chargers. The suspension is set to cost Meriweather $141,176 in game checks.
“I feel like every hit that I took was a legit hit,” Meriweather said. ”I wasn’t trying to be dirty. I wasn’t trying to hurt nobody. I didn’t launch with my head. I used my shoulder like they told me to do. Everything I did was a pointer from them [league officials]. … You’ve just got to play. There ain’t nothing I can do about it. I just go out there and play.”
This is not the first time Meriweather has faced punishment from the NFL, as he was fined $42,000 earlier this season for delivering a helmet-to-helmet hit to Packers running back Eddie Lacy in Week 2.