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Derwin James says he “won’t change” his style of play after suspension.

Derwin James says he “won’t change” his style of play after suspension.

Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. served a one-game suspension for repeated game law violations. He returned to practice Wednesday and insisted the league's punishment would not force him to change his style of play.

“No, it That won't change anything” James said, via Kris Rhim of ESPN. “Definitely nothing will change. Like I said, I'll just go deeper. I won’t change.”

James said he will focus on hitting players below where they are holding the ball.

“I’m not going to keep paying 700, 800,000 (dollars),” he said.

James was cited for unnecessary roughness for a hit on Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth in Week 3. It was his seventh career unnecessary roughness penalty, tied with Marshon Lattimore and Jordan Poyer for second-most in the NFL since 2018. Xavier Woods has eight in that span.

The NFL announced James' unpaid suspension on September 23, and hearing officer Derrick Brooks denied his appeal the next day.

“They told me the violation, the rule I had broken, and that was really it,” James said. “It wasn’t about how I could get better or whatever they call it.”

James added that he's “going to play my style, but like I said, I'm just going to go deeper.”

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