NFL owners unlikely to make roughing the passer calls reviewable
The source of great frustration among both NFL players and fans doesn’t appear to be changing.
Owners are planning to discuss multiple rule change proposals this week at the NFL Owners Meetings in Phoenix, Ariz., and the Rams’ proposal to make roughing the passer penalties reviewable was seemingly high on the list.
But there doesn’t seem to be enough support within the competition committee for the proposal, according to NFL Network’s Judy Battista.
The competition committee deliberates all potential rule changes or proposals as well as other feedback from all 32 teams, and then presents a report of its findings to the owners at the Owners Meetings to be voted on.
A new rule or revision must have the support of 75 percent of owners, or 24 out of the 32 votes.
Commissioner Roger Goodell selects the members of the competition committee, which is comprised of six owners and front office executives and four head coaches.
There are no players in the competition committee.
Outrage spread across the league last year amid ample questionable flags for roughing the passer, as many argued there was nothing the defender could have naturally done to prevent the penalty.
In October, the Buccaneers pulled out a controversial win over Falcons after they were helped by an extremely questionable roughing the passer call on Atlanta defensive end Grady Jarrett.
Trailing 21-15 late in the fourth quarter, Jarrett sacked Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady on third-and-5 in what he thought would be a critical stop to force a punt and get the Falcons the ball back.
But Jarrett was called for roughing the passer, awarding the Buccaneers a first down and allowing them to run the clock out.
The penalty confused much of the NFL community, and was one of a plethora of mind-boggling roughing the passer penalties called last season.
Protecting quarterbacks is seemingly a priority for owners, as they’re often their highest-paid investment on the roster and the faces of their franchises, so it makes sense that they’d prefer caution and extra rules with quarterbacks.
Per NFL Network, the competition committee held meetings during the NFL Combine to review more than 80 questionable roughing the passer penalties.
The conversations revolved around “sling vs. slam,” per the report, and establishing a clearer difference.
It’s illegal for a defender to pick up a quarterback and slam him to the ground, but slinging the quarterback to the ground is considered a natural progression of the play.
The NFL previously adopted a new rule in 2019 to make pass interference penalties reviewable, the only time the league has made penalties reviewable.
But it was seen as a failure, as referees hardly ever reversed their call after review, and it was scrapped after just one year in 2020.
