T.J. Ward Comments on NFL's New Ejection Rule

A few significant rule changes came from the NFL's league meeting on Wednesday, perhaps most notably a new ejection rule.

Owners adopted a change that will result in an automatic ejection in 2016 for any player who commits two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a game, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com.

Count Denver Broncos safety T.J. Ward as one player who disagrees with the rule. Ward, who was ejected in a game last year after punching Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, did not mince words when giving his opinion to NFL.com (h/t Sean Wagner-McGough of CBSSports.com):  

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I think [the ejection rule is] B.S. Because a lot of those penalties are derived from playing hard. And accidental. So to kick someone out of the game for playing hard, on something that's accidental, or especially ... it's going to be defensively biased, 'cause, you know, facemask, horse collars, helmet-to-helmet hits. I mean, what do you got on offense? Chop block now? Hands to the face? You know, it's ... Of course defensive players are going to be getting thrown out at a higher level than offensive players.

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Ward does bring up some good points; however, it's not like the league is taking a zero-tolerance stance. Players are afforded one unsportsmanlike penalty before ejection, and penalties don't carry over game-to-game.  

However, the Broncos defensive back is not the only player taking issue. Seattle Seahawks Pro Bowl cornerback Richard Sherman voiced his displeasure as well, per ESPN's Sheil Kapadia.

"I think it's foolish," Sherman said. "But it sounds like something somebody who's never played the game would say, something that they would suggest, because he doesn't understand. He's just a face. He's just a suit. He's never stepped foot on the field and understood how you can get a personal foul."

Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien and Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians also criticized the new rule, with Arians saying it could cause players to bait others into penalties, per Seifert.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, however, said it's up to the players to make sure they stay on the field and not in the locker room during the game, according to Seifert.

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It's all within their control. Sportsmanship is important to the membership. We all have standards. They have two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties before they're ejected. The message from membership and from our clubs and from our coaches is that we're going to be held to those high standards.

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There also is some truth to that, but it's conceivable an official could call a player for an unsportsmanlike penalty next year that is iffy at best and then eject him among criticism that the judgment call was unfair.

Ward and the other players will have to deal with it for at least one season, as owners will review the rule change in the offseason and decide how to move forward. There is no way to predict exactly what kind of impact it will have, but there is more than a good chance it will bring some controversy at some point during the 17-week season.