Chargers Head Coach Harbaugh Defends Star Safety Derwin James' Suspension

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh has expressed disappointment over the one-game suspension without pay handed to star safety Derwin James Jr. for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth. Harbaugh believes James was not intentionally trying to harm Freiermuth and that the suspension is unwarranted.

The NFL has suspended Los Angeles Chargers star safety Derwin James Jr. without pay for one game for "repeated violations" of unnecessary roughness. The suspension stems from a hit on Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth in the Chargers' Week 3 loss.

Chargers Head Coach Harbaugh Defends Star Safety Derwin James' Suspension

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh did not hold back his thoughts on the matter when speaking with reporters on Wednesday, saying he was "disappointed" in the decision.

"You can never really take the head out of the game because it's in between the two shoulders," Harbaugh explained, according to Pro Football Talk. "Trying to tackle with the shoulder, now the head, the helmet's coming with it. It's in between the two shoulders. So, to the best of his human ability, he is trying to do that. Genuinely cares and wants to do it the absolute right way."

Chargers Head Coach Harbaugh Defends Star Safety Derwin James' Suspension

Video of James' hit on Freiermuth showed their helmets collided, but Harbaugh does not believe the safety was doing so intentionally.

"There was not a defenseless player, changed his course, and I thought that Derwin's helmet was stiff-armed by Mr. Freiermuth," Harbaugh said. "I thought that caused his head to make the contact, and I thought the contact was first with the forearm, then the shoulder, then the head."

Chargers Head Coach Harbaugh Defends Star Safety Derwin James' Suspension

James appealed his suspension, but it was upheld after a hearing. Rather than sound off on the league for the decision, Harbaugh revealed that James had already asked officials in the offseason what he can do to improve.

"He has reached out on his own to officials this past summer to gain a better grasp of how they want it done," Harbaugh revealed. "And the evidence is right there in the tape. I mean, look at all his 20-some tackles on the season, and he is going out of his way, literally going out of his way, sometimes giving up yards, so that he cannot injure another player or hit him with the head. So, yeah, I'm disappointed."

James has at least 115 tackles in each of the last three seasons, including a career-high 125 last season in 16 games. Through three games this year, James has 21 combined tackles, two for losses, and one sack.

The suspension is a significant blow to the Chargers, who are already without several key players, including wide receiver Keenan Allen and cornerback J.C. Jackson. James is one of the best safeties in the league and his absence will leave a big hole in the Chargers' defense.

Harbaugh has shown public love and respect for James since taking over as head coach this season, saying how much James' leadership means as he tries to build his new system in Los Angeles. The suspension is a setback for James and the Chargers, but Harbaugh is confident that the safety will learn from this experience and return to being a key part of the team's defense in the future.