Controversial new NFL rules seek to protect the quarterback

After Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was hit and landed on by Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr on Oct. 15 of last year, Rodgers struggled to get up. It was later revealed that he had suffered a collarbone injury as a result of Barr’s bodyweight during the hit.

Because of injuries like this, the NFL made rule changes during the offseason to ensure the safety of players, particularly the quarterback.

The most controversial of these changes is an addition to the roughing the passer penalty. According to the NFL, “the defender is responsible for avoiding landing on the quarterback when taking him to the ground,” including on a sack. Failure to do so results in a 15-yard penalty against the defense and an automatic first down.

One major complaint about this rule was that defensive players are now more limited in the ways they can hit the quarterback. In the first three weeks of this year’s regular season, NFL officials frequently called this new rule on previously clean hits, leading fans to question the necessity of this rule.

For instance, in Week 3, after Packers linebacker Clay Matthews’s sack of Redskins quarterback Alex Smith drew a penalty flag, Matthews noted that even Smith himself believed it to be a fair hit. Furthermore, while this rule protects quarterbacks, it sometimes leads to more injuries to defensive players. In the same week, Dolphins defensive end William Hayes tore his ACL in an attempt to avoid landing on Raiders quarterback Derek Carr during a play.

Another complaint noted the subjectivity of the rule. Some fans said that officials of different games view the nuances of the rule differently, leading to instances where a legal hit in one game could be penalized in another.

Due to this backlash from fans, the NFL ultimately decided to re-examine this rule following Week 3. Consequently, there was only one controversial instance of roughing the passer in Week 4, during a hit by Raiders defensive end Arden Key on Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. Even so, many do believe this one to have been the correct call, since there was helmet-to-helmet contact, which is illegal due to the possibility of head and neck injuries.

Aside from roughing the passer, the NFL said it would also be enforcing a previous rule protecting the long snapper on field goal and extra point attempts more often. This was called once during the Saints at Falcons game of Week 3, converting the Falcons’ fourth down into a first. They eventually scored a touchdown, rather than a field goal, on that drive.

Another regulation emphasized by the NFL this year includes prohibited illegal contact downfield, and both offensive and defensive pass interference will be strictly enforced. Also, protections for runners who give themselves up, such as during a quarterback’s slide, were also clarified to minimize unnecessary contact and dangerous hits to the head or neck area, which sometimes result in concussions or paralysis.

As the game evolves and the NFL seeks to reduce serious and lasting injuries to players, debates will continue as to the best way to officiate the game. During these adjustment periods, fans should be patient and understand that officials, and even players, need time to transition as well.