The paranoia among NFL fans is already palpable halfway through the season.
With Chargers defensive captain Derwin James suspended one game for safety violations, the NFL is once again being accused of favoring the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs – Los Angeles’ Week 4 opponent. The Chiefs are frequently accused of being the league’s favored franchise, and James’ suspension fits neatly into that conspiracy theory.
‘heap [Chiefs quarterback Patrick] “Mahomes’ soul was worthy of third place,” one fan wrote on X.
“You’ll never guess who the Chargers are playing next,” added another, prompting a number of respondents to correctly answer: Kansas City.
‘Commissioner protects Queen Mahomes and the Swifties, one fan wrote. ‘Derwin James suspended for playing the game the right way. I don’t see you throwing flags at the Steelers or Chiefs. Headhunt Mahomes.’
Derwin James Jr. #3 of the Los Angeles Chargers leads a huddle prior to a recent game
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) stretches before the September 15 game
Suspicions surrounding the NFL and the Chiefs have only grown as Taylor Swift’s relationship with Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce has helped the NFL draw record crowds.
However, James’ suspension may be justified.
He has five unnecessary roughness penalties in his last 18 games, the most in the league by a defensive player. And all five involved hits to the head of an opponent with his shoulder or helmet.
Jon Runyan, the NFL’s vice president of football operations, cited the league’s ban on lowering the head and initiating contact with the helmet. Runyan pointed to James’ targeting of Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth during the third quarter of Sunday’s 20-10 loss at Pittsburgh as the final straw.
James ducked his head and hit Freiermuth, earning him a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary rough play.
The strong safety had an unobstructed path to Freiermuth and could have adjusted the way he delivered the shot.
“Your continued disregard for the NFL’s rules of the game will not be tolerated,” Runyan wrote in a letter to James.
‘Severe penalties are appropriate when players repeatedly breach the rules that are intended to protect player safety, especially when the breaches pose a significant risk of injury to an opponent.’
James said after the match that he didn’t ask the referee why he was given a penalty.
“I’m not here to whistle, I’m playing fast and I’m not thinking about a flag,” he said. “I’m watching the film and seeing if they’re going to give me a penalty. I don’t feel like I hit him in the head or neck.”
The Chargers (2-1) host the Chiefs (3-0) in Los Angeles on Sunday.