Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. served a one-game suspension for repeated violations of the playing rules. He returned to practice Wednesday adamant that punishment from the league won’t force him to change his playing style.
“No, it ain’t going to change shit,” James said, via Kris Rhim of ESPN. “It’s definitely not going to change nothing. Like I said, I’m just going to go lower. I’m not going to change.”
James said he will focus on hitting players beneath where they are holding the ball.
“I’m not going to keep paying 700, 800 thousand [dollars],” he said.
James was flagged for unnecessary roughness for a hit on Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth in Week 3. It was his seventh career unnecessary roughness penalty, tied with Marshon Lattimore and Jordan Poyer for the second most in the NFL since 2018. Xavier Woods has eight in that span.
The NFL announced James’ unpaid suspension Sept. 23, and hearing officer Derrick Brooks denied his appeal the next day.
“They told me the violation, the rule I broke and that was really it,” James said. “It wasn’t, you know, [about] how I could get better or what they’re calling.”
James added that he’s “going to play my style, but like I said, I’ll just go lower.”