Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair has obtained help from quite a few members of the NFL neighborhood after the league handed him a three-game suspension for a controversial hit he delivered to Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence final Sunday, which left Lawrence with a concussion.
Professional Soccer Discuss’s Mike Florio steered the NFL’s competitors committee may discover making a rule that will punish gamers who slide feet-first throughout video games to stop such incidents from occurring.
On Thursday, reporters requested Jameis Winston of the Cleveland Browns “about quarterback slides” and if signal-callers “have to slip earlier” whereas finishing scrambles.
“Personally, as a quarterback, man, we’ve to have the ability to defend ourselves,” Winston responded, per the Browns’ web site. “When we’re sliding in the course of defenders ft first, that’s robust.
They’re taught to hunt, and I feel by way of the defender, man, I do imagine that generally you may let up and you can allow them to go. However man, that’s robust. This is soccer that we play. And the NFL has completed a lot to guard the quarterback place, particularly inside the pocket.”
Former NFL head coach Rex Ryan believes that quarterbacks “ought to be taught to dive on the ankles of the defender” reasonably than to slip ft first to keep away from being hit excessive on the finish of scrambles. Dwelling legend Tom Brady thinks the NFL ought to possibly “wonderful or penalize a quarterback for sliding late” and that “quarterbacks have to take higher care of themselves.”
Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins has a well known historical past of concussions and stated earlier this week he agreed with Brady’s factors. Winston did not go that far, however he additionally hinted he does not suppose Al-Shaair was responsible of a “soiled hit” on Lawrence.
“I suppose as quarterbacks,” Winston defined, “while you slide ft first right into a crowd of defenders, man, they’re taught to hunt. We’ve to discover a higher strategy to defend ourselves. And I simply, I feel the three-game suspension, it’s out of my management. I simply, I feel everybody has a job in defending the quarterback — defenders and ourselves.“
As a lot because the NFL needs to maintain beginning quarterbacks wholesome and in lineups, it may well’t ignore the takes shared by Brady, Tagovailoa and Winston. If nothing else, the subject of presumably attempting to eradicate feet-first slides ought to be mentioned throughout winter and springtime conferences properly earlier than preseason video games get underway.
