Washington Redskins safety Brandon Meriweather has been fined multiple times in the past for illegal hits. But Chicago Bears receiver Brandon Marshall thinks the NFL needs to do more.
During the second half of the Redskins' 45-41 win, Meriweather put shots on both Marshall and Alshon Jeffery that were flagged for illegal contact to the head of a defenseless receiver. Marshall said it's time for the NFL to suspend or even kick the safety out of the league.
"Guys like that really don't understand that there is life after football," Marshall said, per the Chicago Tribune. "I respect the league trying to better our game and guys like that, maybe he needs to get suspended or taken out of the game completely. I understand. I get it. I was one of those guys. I played defense growing up. I was a headhunter. Even sometimes on the offensive side, I played that way. But with rules in place, you've gotta respect it."
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday, per a league source, that the NFL is expected to suspend Meriweather for at least one game for repeated uses of his helmet as a weapon. The league later Monday announced a two-game suspension for Meriweather, who is appealing the punishment.
Meriweather clearly went high on both hits. On the Jeffery hit in the third quarter, he lowered his helmet into the receiver's face. On the Marshall hit, the safety launched himself at the head and neck area after the ball was dropped.
After the game, Meriweather lamented that, given the rules, he's not sure where to hit a receiver anymore.
"I feel like every hit that I took was a legit hit," he said, per the Washington Post. "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."
The pointers didn't take.
The NFL fined Meriweather $42,000 last month for a helmet-to-helmet hit. A big boost in that number, or even a multigame suspension, is not out of the question at this point.
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