NFL upholds Titans S Griffin's suspension
The NFL denied Tennessee Titans safety Michael Griffin's appeal on Tuesday, upholding his one-game suspension as a repeat violator of NFL safety rules prohibiting hits to the head and neck area of defenseless players.
The suspension without pay will cost Griffin $205,882.35, which is one-seventeenth of his $3.5 million base salary.
Griffin cannot practice this week nor play in the Titans' game this Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.
Griffin was penalized for unnecessary roughness in the second quarter of last Sunday's game against the Oakland Raiders for delivering a blow to the head of Raiders tight end Mychal Rivera.
The violation was Griffin's second this season and fourth since 2011, all for hitting a defenseless players in the head and neck area.
Griffin has started every game for the past four seasons for the Titans, including all 10 games this season. He has 44 tackles and 16 assists this season.
In other developments Tuesday, the Titans agreed to terms with former Pro Bowl returner Leon Washington and waived wide receiver Devon Wylie and center Kevin Matthews.
Washington (5-8, 192) is in his eighth NFL season and earned Pro Bowl invites following the 2008 season with the New York Jets and last year with the Seattle Seahawks. He has eight career kickoff return touchdowns, which is tied for the most in NFL history (Josh Cribbs).
Washington has returned 245 kickoffs for a 25.9-yard average and 168 punt returns for a 9.9-yard average during his 105-game NFL career. As a running back, Washington has gained 2,214 rushing yards (4.7 average), 1,127 receiving yards and scored 18 touchdowns.
Washington started his NFL career as a fourth-round selection by the New York Jets in the 2006 NFL Draft from Florida State. Washington played four seasons for the Jets (2006-09) and three seasons for the Seattle Seahawks (2010-12), before signing with the New England Patriots this year. He was waived last week by the Patriots.
The Titans also agreed to terms with defensive tackle Frank Kearse on a practice squad contract and placed defensive tackle Chigbo Anunoby on the practice squad injured list.
