NEW YORK: The NFL has denied James Harrison’s appeal of a one-game suspension for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy, and the Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker will sit out Monday night’s game against San Francisco.
The ruling was made by NFL-NFLPA on-field appeals officer Ted Cottrell and announced Friday.
Harrison, an Akron native and Kent State product, was suspended Tuesday because of the hit to McCoy during the Steelers’ win over the Browns on Dec. 8. McCoy suffered a concussion.
The NFL cited Harrison’s history of flagrant hits — this was his fifth on a quarterback — in making him the first player suspended under stricter guidelines for player safety that were invoked midway through last season.
