NFL Looking To Protect QBs More

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mid those regular reminders of the dangers facing players at the sport's marquee position, the league's competition committee will take a look this offseason at whether to expand rules that protect the QB, NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino said Thursday.

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Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY SportsThe NFL's competition committee will take a look this offseason at whether to expand rules that protect the quarterback.

"Should he always get protection from low hits or head hits, regardless of the posture he's presenting?" Blandino said in a telephone interview. "Part of the conversation will be: Should that protection be expanded to all times when the quarterback has the ball in the pocket?"

The committee will review position-by-position injury data and go over video from games, a regular process between seasons.

"Currently the quarterback is as protected now as he's ever been," Blandino said, "but I think that's been the case for eight or nine years."

A year ago, only one QB had gone on IR by this point in the season. Indeed, 2012 was about as healthy as it gets for quarterbacks: 20 of 32 NFL teams started the same one in every game, the highest percentage for a full, non-strike season since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. With nearly half of this season still to play, the number of teams able to rely on one starter at that key spot already is down to 20.

 

[Thanatos 2,847]

Get. Out.

They are already protected too much.

[seanbrock 1,684]

It's pretty hard to play defense in the NFL these days and it's only going to get harder.

[Cherry 1,302]

Maybe if the QBs stopped running they wouldn't be hurt so much

[Glanvilles Grits 142]

No, I don't think they need MORE protection. You can't protect a quarterback when he's trying to run the football out of the pocket and turn down field. It would make no sense. What happens if a guy like Cam Newton or Terrell Pryor with a big frame starts running the ball, even remaining in the pocket? You can't deliver a hit you know will take him down?

 

They don't need any more protection. Football is a contact sport, unfortunately injuries are oging to happen. If you dumb down the hits too much, it takes away from the game that is football.

[BigBen07 285]

Maybe if the QBs stopped running they wouldn't be hurt so much

 

 

No, I don't think they need MORE protection. You can't protect a quarterback when he's trying to run the football out of the pocket and turn down field. It would make no sense. What happens if a guy like Cam Newton or Terrell Pryor with a big frame starts running the ball, even remaining in the pocket? You can't deliver a hit you know will take him down?

 

They don't need any more protection. Football is a contact sport, unfortunately injuries are going to happen. If you dumb down the hits too much, it takes away from the game that is football.

My thoughts exactly. You also have the read option which adds more fuel to the fire. A lot of the injuries happen past the line of scrimmage.

Edited November 16, 2013 by BigBen07

[Plax 4 Prez 21]

Just give them a red jersey already, and not let anyone hit them. Better yet, let's turn the NFL into flag football. smh

[theMileHighGuy 656]

I don't believe it. Since the Jags game Manning has been hit in the legs/knees 4 or 5 times and nothing came of it.

 

Inconsistency however is the worst part of the institution of these new rules.

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