Washington safety Brandon Meriweather is officially suspended for the first two games of the regular season.
Meriweather, who was suspended for his sixth violation of the rules against hitting defenseless opponents in the head, has lost his appeal of that suspension.
The appeal was heard by Ted Cottrell, who is hired jointly by the NFL and the NFL Players Association. Cottrell was an NFL linebacker and had a long career as a defensive coach, so he’s not opposed to tough, physical defensive football. In fact, Cottrell reduced another suspension for Meriweather last year, from two games to one. But Meriweather has crossed the line too many times.
Meriweather will be eligible to re-join Washington for Week Three.