The Los Angeles Chargers will be without star safety Derwin James Jr. for this week's game against the Kansas City Chiefs after the league determined he could have avoided a helmet-to-helmet collision on Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Friarmuth in the Chargers' Week 3 loss.
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh was open about his thoughts on the matter when speaking to reporters on Wednesday, saying he was “disappointed” with the one-game unpaid suspension.
“You can't take your head out of the game because your head is between your shoulders,” Harbaugh explained, according to Pro Football Talk.
“You try to tackle with your shoulders, and then your head comes flying and your helmet comes flying with it. It's between your shoulders. So he's trying to do the best he can as a human being. He really cares and he absolutely wants to do it the right way.”
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Los Angeles Chargers' Derwin James Jr. (3) greets head coach Jim Harbaugh before a game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on September 15, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Kara Durrett/Getty Images)
Video of James' hit on Friarmouth showed their helmets colliding, but Harbaugh doesn't believe the safety did it intentionally.
NFL suspends Chargers star Derwin James Jr. without pay for 'repeated and unnecessary violent conduct'
“The defenseless player did not change course and I believed that Darwin's helmet was pushed hard by Mr. Friarmouth,” Harbaugh said. “That is what caused the contact with his head and I believed that the contact was first to the forearm, then to the shoulder and then to the head.”
Harbaugh has publicly demonstrated his love and respect for James since taking over as head coach this season, speaking of how important James' leadership will be as he tries to build a new system in Los Angeles.
Derwin James Jr. of the Los Angeles Chargers plays against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on September 22, 2024. (Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
James appealed the suspension but was allowed to be overturned after a hearing. Rather than blame the league for the decision, Harbaugh said James had already asked the officiating committee during the offseason what he could do to improve.
“He worked with the officials this summer to get a better understanding of what they wanted,” Harbaugh said. “The evidence is on video. If you look at his 20-plus tackles this season, he literally went out of his way to avoid injuring somebody or hitting somebody in the head, sometimes giving up yards. So I'm disappointed.”
James has made at least 115 tackles in each of the past three seasons and recorded a career-high 125 tackles in 16 games last season.
Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh stands next to Derwin James Jr. (3) during the national anthem before the Chargers' game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on September 15, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Kara Durrett/Getty Images)
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In three games this year, James has recorded 21 total tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack.
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