Report: Brandon Meriweather appeal will be Wednesday

The NFL suspended Redskins safety Brandon Meriweather for two games on Monday for repeated violations of rules governing hits to the head and neck of defenseless receivers and, as expected, the safety has decided to appeal the penalty.

Tom Pelissero of USA Today reports that the appeal will be heard on Wendesday by either Ted Cottrell or Matt Birk, the officers appointed by the NFL and NFLPA to hear appeals of discipline meted out for on-field behavior.

If Meriweather’s suspension is upheld, it will break from the recent trend for safeties disciplined for similar infractions. Ed Reed was suspended last year and Dashon Goldson was suspended earlier this year, but both players wound up getting their bans overturned on appeal. Both players were suspended for one game initially and wound up being fined for their misdeeds instead.

With Meriweather suspended for two games, there’s a chance he could still wind up sitting out a game with a successful appeal. Cottrell or Birk would have the right to cut the suspension in half in addition to overturning it completely or upholding it.


(profootballtalk.com)