CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis will no longer miss the rest of the regular season.
The NFL upheld Davis' suspension, but reduced it to just one game.
Davis will miss Sunday's home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He will return on Dec. 31 at the Atlanta Falcons.
Davis had an appeal hearing Tuesday after he was suspended without pay for two games due to a violation of safety rules in Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers.
The news came after a controversial hit by Davis on Packers wide receiver Davante Adams.
The suspension was issued Monday by NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan.
In a letter to Davis notifying him of the suspension, Runyan noted that Davis violated Rule 12, Section 2, Article 7 (b) (1), which prohibits contact against a player in a defenseless position by “forcibly hitting the defenseless player’s head or neck area with the helmet, facemask, forearm or shoulder, even if the initial contact is lower than the player’s neck.”
Runyan also wrote, "During an interception return, you took a path toward your opponent who was pursuing the play and delivered a violent and unnecessary blindside block to his head and neck area. You have been previously fined for violations of safety-related rules. Your actions yesterday warrant an escalation of discipline, not only because they were flagrant, but also because of your status as a repeat offender."
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