Bears safety Brandon Meriweather has become a poster boy for illegal helmet-to-helmet hits in the NFL.
Whether in New England or Chicago, Meriweather has a well-deserved reputation as a head hunter. He said he said he doesn’t appreciate the league’s effort to change his style.
“They teach you growing up that you’ve got to be violent and put the fear of God in people, but when you get to the league that you’ve been dreaming about your whole life, they tell you to change your game 100 percent or get money taken from you,” Meriweather told Sports Illustrated this week.
Yes, they are trying to change Meriweather’s game. He’s one of the few players in the league that looks like he’s trying to injure players when he hits them in the head.
Meriweather partially blames the size of wide receivers.
“I try lowering my target zone, but if you have a receiver who’s 5′ 8″, it’s still going to be a helmet-to-helmet collision. How do you avoid that when you’re running full speed?” he said.
It’s worth noting that the NFL isn’t the only entity trying to change Meriweather’s game. The Patriots tried to change it, failed, and then cut Meriweather.
The Bears tried to change Meriweather and benched him too.