In the offseason, the NFL added a new rule to roughing the passer in which a player landing on a quarterback with all or most of his body weight after a tackle will warrant a penalty. This rule is in place in order to protect the quarterback, but defensive players have been frustrated with the rule, frustration that is justified because it is almost impossible to run toward the quarterback and tackle him without landing on top of him. The new rule has caused players to be more cautious when rushing the quarterback, not wanting to get penalized. However, this caution from defensive players gives the quarterback less pressure and more of an advantage.
Most recently, William Hayes, defensive end for the Miami Dolphins, tore his ACL in an attempt to not land on Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr in the matchup between the two teams on Sunday. Hayes was able to get to Carr during Sunday’s game and successfully sacked him, but while doing so, he tried using his leg to keep himself from falling too hard on the quarterback, which resulted in Hayes’ foot getting caught in the turf and giving him a torn ACL. Had Hayes been able to sack Carr how defensive players normally would before this rule was set in place, he most likely would not have been injured.
“Can they make a rule change now for this? Should be a penalty on QB and a fine because defender is trying to avoid putting weight on him and tears his AClL!! This just proves how dumb the rule is and how little NFL cares for position players….,” Joe Schobert, Cleveland Browns linebacker said on Twitter.
Many NFL players have expressed their dislike of the rule, and fans of the game are not fans of it as well, claiming that it’s ruining the game of football and that it’s becoming soft.
Green Bay Packers linebacker, Clay Matthews, is particularly unfond of the rule as he has been flagged for roughing the passer in all three games this season.
“Unfortunately, this league is going in a direction a lot of people don’t like,” said Matthews after losing to the Washington Redskins on Sunday. “I think they’re getting soft.”
The NFL is standing its ground on the rule and at this point in time are not looking to make changes to it.
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