Charger Report

Los Angeles Chargers leader hints at NFL suspension update

A Chargers player hints at whether he's facing a suspension from the NFL.
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It doesn't sound like the Los Angeles Chargers will deal with an NFL suspension this week. 

There was some question as to the fate of veteran safety Tony Jefferson as the Chargers get ready to play the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16. 

After all, Jefferson put a wicked hit on a Kansas City Chiefs player last week, drawing a flag and an ejection. It was all controversial, yet led to justified speculation that the NFL could step in and hit Jefferson with a suspension to make an example out of him. 

But mid-week, Jefferson offered a notable update on his status for Week 16. 

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Jefferson spoke with reporters before Week 16 and signaled he has yet to hear from the NFL about a suspension. 

According to ESPN’s Kris Rhim, Jefferson is “pretty sure” he isn’t getting suspended because he hasn’t heard from the NFL yet. 

As always, the NFL announces the league-wide list of fines and/or suspensions on the Saturday following a game. But players get notified in advance, so the fact Jefferson hasn’t heard anything yet might be a good sign. 

In some cases, the NFL considers in-game punishment, especially ejections, to be enough. Jefferson’s ejection might qualify here. That’s especially the case considering the ruling on the field at the time of the play seemed 50-50 at best. 

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Both Jefferson and the Chiefs player braced for impact while lowering before the collision. The flag and punishment, at least at the time, seemed more a reaction to the aftermath of the collision than the actual mechanics behind it. 

This is overall just good news for the Chargers. The safety room is a mess right now. They traded away one player before the deadline. Elijah Molden has been battling an injury and breakout rookie story RJ Mickens suffered an injury last week that could have him missing time. 

Barring good injury news, that leaves Jefferson to pair with the likes of Kendall Williamson while Derwin James continues to float around formations. The Chargers also signed Marcus Maye to the practice squad as insurance this week. 

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Chris Roling
CHRIS ROLING

Chris Roling has covered the NFL since 2010 with stints at Bleacher Report, USA TODAY Sports Media Group and others. Raised a Bengals fan in the '90s, the Andy Dalton era was smooth sailing by comparison. He graduated from the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University and remains in Athens.

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