Let’s dive right into the emotional roller-coaster ride that is the NFL!
Chargers’ safety Derwin James has been benched this week for a head-to-head hit, but Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh is scratching his head over what James could have done differently.
A Coach’s Lament
Harbaugh expressed his deep disappointment in the league’s decision, explaining that while he can coach players like James to aim their tackles using their shoulders, some head contact is simply inevitable in football.
“You can never really take the head out of the game because it’s in between the two shoulders,” Harbaugh lamented. “Trying to tackle with the shoulder, now the head, the helmet’s coming with it. It’s in between the two shoulders. So, to the best of his human ability, he is trying to do that. He genuinely cares and wants to do it the absolute right way.”
Questionable Discipline
Harbaugh made it crystal clear that he does not agree with the NFL’s decision to suspend James for his hit on Steelers’ tight end Pat Freiermuth.
“There was not a defenseless player; he changed his course, and I thought Derwin’s helmet was stiff-armed by Mr. Freiermuth,” Harbaugh revealed. “I thought that caused his head to make the contact, and I thought the contact was first with the forearm, then the shoulder, then the head.”
Commitment to the Game
Not stopping there, Harbaugh showered James with praise for his integrity and relentless desire to improve. Harbaugh said he respects James as much as any player he has coached and highlighted James’ personal initiative to reach out to the league office during the offseason to learn the proper tackling techniques to avoid league discipline.
“He has reached out on his own to officials this past summer to gain a better grasp of how they want it done,” Harbaugh shared. “And the evidence is right there in the tape. I mean, look at his 20-some tackles this season and he’s going out of his way, literally going out of his way, sometimes giving up yards, so that he can avoid injuring another player or hitting him with the head. So yeah, I’m disappointed.”
In a sport where the stakes are as high as the adrenaline, these moments define not just the rules, but the heart and soul of football. Let’s see what emotions the next game will bring!
