NEW YORK — The NFL has denied James Harrison’s appeal of a one-game suspension for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Cleveland 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 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.