JJ Watt criticises the NFL for Denzel Perryman’s suspension as a Texans linebacker.
As Houston competes for the AFC West title, linebacker Denzel Perryman will be sidelined until November.
The NFL on Tuesday suspended linebacker Denzel Perryman of the Houston Texans for three games due to his repeated infractions of player safety procedures. One former star of Houston wasn’t happy with the league’s choices.
In Sunday’s victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, Perryman hit wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase helmet-to-helmet, resulting in an unwarranted roughness call that led to Perryman’s suspension. According to an NFL statement, Chase’s injury was just the most recent in a series of unwarranted hits, not the primary cause of the suspension. Perryman has been flagged for six personal fouls in his NFL career, including one that occurred during the team’s Week 2 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, according to the league’s release on Tuesday.
J.J. Watt criticised the NFL’s decision without holding back. The six personal foul calls against Perryman, according to the future Hall of Famer and former star of the Texans, occurred over an eight-year period during which Perryman appeared in 102 games. Furthermore, Watt might have a point in his criticism. If Perryman had recorded helmet-to-helmet hits in consecutive games, or even a third time in the 2023 campaign, the circumstances would have been different. Instead, it appears that the NFL is accounting for the disproportionately large sample.
“He has six infractions in his career. He has eight years of league experience.” In response to an X platform post by NFL insider Adam Schefter outlining the suspension, Watt wrote. “You should be suspended for three games without pay for having six penalties in 102 games, right?
Perryman still has the option to challenge the suspension, and he will probably do so by using Watt’s reasoning. Perryman will be out of Houston’s lineup through November if such attempts are unsuccessful.
In 2023, Perryman, 30, is making a name for himself in Houston’s front seven during his rookie campaign. He was selected for the Pro Bowl by the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021 after spending his first six NFL seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. This season, Perryman has racked up 41 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and a quarterback hit.
The Texans will host the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday in an attempt to win three straight games, with or without Perryman. It is scheduled to kick off from NRG Stadium at noon CT.
