The Los Angeles Chargers moved a step closer towards clinching a playoff berth following their beat down of the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16, and were confirmed in the postseason when the Indianapolis Colts lost to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night — a convenient turn of events given the loss of a defensive lynchpin for the remainder of the regular season.

Wins from their final two games would have secured a spot in the tournament for certain, and could still lead to the Chargers securing the #1 seed in the AFC, but they’ll be without Denzel Perryman, who has been suspended without pay for two games for repeated violations of rules intended to protect the health and safety of fellow players.

During the second quarter of the Cowboys game, Perryman was penalised for unnecessary roughness after delivering a forcible blow to the helmet of Cowboys wide receiver Ryan Flournoy, who was on the ground after making a catch. This violated Rule 12, Section 2, Article 10(b), which prohibits ‘using any part of the helmet or facemask to butt or make forcible contact to an opponent’s head or neck area’.

As usual under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Perryman may appeal the suspension, with his plea to be heard and decided upon by either Derrick Brooks, Ramon Foster or Jordy Nelson. In the event that the ban is upheld, Perryman will only be eligible to return to the Chargers’ active roster on Monday, 5th January.

The veteran has started all ten games he has played in 2025 and has 47 combined tackles, with four tackles for loss.