The National Football League has reduced the suspension slammed on Washington Redskins safety Brandon Meriweather from two games to one after the decision was appealed by the player.
Meriweather was initially handed the two-game ban after being penalized two times for illegal hits to two players during the Redskins’ 45-41 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
The Washington safety was flagged for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery in the third quarter. He was again penalized for hitting wide receiver Brandon Marshall late in the fourth quarter.
Meriweather decided to appeal the two-game ban attracted by the hits and had it reduced to one game after an appeal hearing on Wednesday afternoon before hearing officer Ted Cottrell.
But Marshall feels players like Meriweather ought to be sent packing from the league.
“Guys like that really don’t understand that there is life after football,” the Bears receiver told 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.”
Meriweather has been fined on previous occasions for illegal hits, with the latest being a fine of $42,000 for two hits in Washington’s Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers. He was also fined $50,000 in 2010 and paid fines amounting to about $45,000 the following year with Chicago.
With the ban reduced, Meriweather is set to miss only the Redskins’ game against the Denver Broncos this Sunday. The suspension is expected to deprive the safety of more than $70,000 in salary.
Source:
http://mens-news.com/2013/10/redskins-safety-meriweathers-ban-reduced/