Houston Texans linebacker Denzel Perryman is set to sit out the next three games due to a suspension imposed by the NFL. The league announced the decision on Tuesday, attributing the disciplinary action to Perryman’s repeated infractions of play safety regulations during the Texans’ surprising victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 10.
During the game, the 30-year-old veteran was penalized for unnecessary roughness after delivering a helmet-to-helmet hit on Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase in the fourth quarter. In a letter to Perryman, Jon Runyan, NFL vice president of football operations, deemed the hit a serious violation of playing rules. Runyan argued that Perryman could have avoided the forceful hit by not lowering his head and delivering a blow to the shoulder and head/neck area of the receiver when he had an unobstructed path to his opponent.
This isn’t Perryman’s first brush with disciplinary action; he has accumulated six violations for similar personal fouls throughout his career. Earlier in the season, he was fined by the league for actions in a game against the Indianapolis Colts.
In response to Perryman’s repeated violations, Runyan emphasized the need for more substantial penalties when players compromise the safety rules designed to protect players. Perryman’s suspension means he won’t receive pay during the three-game period, and he has the option to file an appeal.
If Perryman chooses to appeal, the hearing will be conducted by either Derrick Brooks or James Thrash, who are jointly appointed and compensated by the NFL and the Players Association to decide appeals of on-field player discipline. Perryman will remain ineligible to return to the Texans’ active roster until December 4, missing the team’s games against the Denver Broncos on December 3 and a Week 14 matchup with the New York Jets in New Jersey.
