By Sid Saraf, FOXSports.com The Redskins safety isn't a happy man. Brandon Meriweather returned to the team on Monday after serving a one-game suspension for a pair of helmet-first hits on Bears receivers Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall in Week 7. The NFL originally docked him two games, but it was reduced on appeal. If you remember, Marshall said this about Meriweather: “I respect the league trying to better our game and guys like that, maybe he needs to get suspended or taken out of the game completely. … Guys like that just don’t understand. Those are the guys that are in trouble. They really don’t have anything to do after football because they think it is all about football.” Well, that didn't sit well with Meriweather. “He feels like I need to be kicked out of the league? I feel like people who beat their girlfriends should be kicked out, too,” Meriweather told the Washington Times. "You tell me who'd you rather have -- somebody who plays aggressive on the field, or somebody who beat up their girlfriend?" That was a direct shot at Marshall, who has had well-documented issues and arrests involving domestic violence over the years. But, Meriweather wasn't done. He went on to explain how he'll have to play defense going forward. “To be honest, you’ve just got to go low now,” Meriweather said, according to Sports Illustrated (via ESPN radio). “You gotta end people’s careers." “You gotta tear people’s ACLs. Mess up people’s knees. You can’t hit them high anymore. You’ve just got to go low.”
That's not to blow off Meriweather's comments as bitter. He probably had to sit at home stewing about this suspension, which cost him $75,000 in salary. He was also dinged $42,000 earlier this season for a hit on Packers running back Eddie Lacy. And maybe he has a point about having to hit low. But listen, that's what the NFL appears to want with strict rules in place against hitting high. Then, after several knees are blown out and torn ACLs turns into a hot-button issue, more changes will come down the pike. Flag football could be a reality in the future. Questions? Comments? Send them to lacesoutmail@gmail.com and we might respond in our weekly mailbag!
