Antonio Smith’s appeal of the three-week suspension handed down by the NFL was denied Friday. According to a source, the Houston Texans defensive end will miss Week 1 of the regular season and lose roughly $400,000 of his salary.
Smith was suspended last week after ripping Miami Dolphins player Richie Incognito’s helmet off and swinging it at his head during Houston’s second preseason game.
“In general, I feel disappointed, disappointed in myself that I was able to let him get to me in the way that he did that frustrated me, when knowing that that’s his whole game, that’s what he bases his skill level off of, and I let him take me down a road that led me into that path,” Smith told KRIV-TV in Houston.
“Initially, I was full of frustration,” Smith said. “I swung the helmet, but I didn’t swing the helmet to hit Richie Incognito. If I was going to swing the helmet to hit Richie Incognito, it wouldn’t have been hard. He’s right there close. You can see how low the helmet was and how tight I brought it to my body.”
Smith will continue to practice with the team while on suspension—which officially ends Tuesday, Sept. 10.
