Sports

Steelers TE Pat Friermuth Defended Derwin James After Hit That Led To James Being Suspended

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Pat Friermuth

Getty Image / Brooke Sutton



The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a hard-nosed approach for decades now. They play tough, physical, football and the team as a whole takes pride in it, including tight end Pat Friermuth.

Last Sunday, Friermuth was struck by a pretty brutal hit by Derwin James that eventually led to him getting suspended for repeated hits the league felt were over-the-top. But, Friermtuh actually defended James when contacted by the league office.

Here was the hit that got Derwin James suspended.

There are certainly plenty of hits worse than that each week. but, the league office deemed that Derwin James has simply done this one too many times, and that fines weren’t cutting it. He will be sitting out this weekend’s game against the Chiefs.

That being said, Pat Friermuth apparently didn’t believe that the hit was that bad. In fact, he defended James to the league office. That’s according to Pat McAfee who discussed it while talking to Adam Schefter on the Pat McAfee Show on Friday.

“My source says… breaking, Pat Friermuth was on the appeal call and didn’t think it was a dirty hit,” McAfee said.

It probably wasn’t a dirty hit, in the sense that I don’t think James was trying to hurt anybody. But, the league wants to get hits like that out of the game, for good reason, and decided now was the right time to put their foot down when it comes to Derwin James.

Though, it is pretty awesome that Pat Friermuth defended James. Could it be a bit of gamesmanship from Friermuth, possibly hoping that Derwin James would be able to play against the also-undefeated Chiefs? Probably not, but it’s fun to speculate about.