With the NFL being in the news more and more every year for all the wrong reasons, it makes sense that new rules would be created to protect players and make the game safer. Recently they’ve added rules, such as the placement of the ball during kickoffs – making it five yards higher to increase chances of a touchback so no hard hits could be made. Also, they added more rules to protect the head. However, this past year, the NFL created a rule that makes the game a flag fest. Even if it is milliseconds after a pass is thrown and the defensive player tackles the quarterback, the defensive player is flagged for a fifteen yard roughing the passer penalty.

This has made the NFL almost boring to watch. Now, the game might as well be called flag football. I understand trying to protect the quarterback, but at the same time, it’s not roughing the passer. To me, roughing the passer is hitting the quarterback hard, a couple seconds after he throws the ball. Now, players are getting flagged for momentum tackles into the quarterback. Every game I have watched this season, there have been at least 10 flags a game, if not more, for “roughing the passer” penalties.

The NFL should remove this rule change if they wish to keep viewing numbers high. With more and more rule changes being put into place, football is becoming more of a flag football game-you can hardly touch someone without getting flagged. I wish NFL would keep the rules protecting the head because of CTE numbers increasing, but the game still needs to maintain its competitive nature, and these rule changes are removing that.