Chargers star suspended by NFL for hit on Dallas Cowboys receiver

The NFL has put the hammer down on Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the NFL has suspended Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman without pay for two games after an unnecessary hit to Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Ryan Flournoy.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote that the NFL has described the action as resulting from “repeated violations of playing rules intended to protect the health and safety of players, including during Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys.”

NFL officials penalized Perryman for unnecessary roughness for delivering a blow to the helmet of Flournoy. The Cowboys responded in kind, causing a small scuffle at the time.

After the game, Perryman himself responded to accusations of dirty play on social media, suggesting he spoke with the Cowboys player he hit, too:

Never proud of someone calling em a dirty player, never been a dirty player since i start at the age of 6.. I play fast and physical, me and #19 talked after the game we good
— Denzel Perryman (@d_perryman52) December 22, 2025

Perryman's suspension means the Chargers won't have him on the field for the Week 17 game against the Houston Texans and the Week 18 road encounter with the Denver Broncos, which could feature the AFC West up for grabs.

With Perryman out, the Chargers will lean on the likes of Troy Dye and Marlowe Wax next to Daiyan Henley and Del'Shawn Phillips.

Perryman has a long history of fines and suspensions in the NFL. He was infamously fined $55,000 back in 2021 as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders while using his helmet to hit Jalen Hurts. In 2023, as a member of the Houston Texans, the NFL suspended him for two games for repeated violations of initiating contact with his helmet.

Per the CBA, Perryman is free to appeal the suspension.

Brian McCarthy from the NFL shared the entire press release for the Perryman suspension: