Aaron Rodgers Criticizes Roughing-the-Passer Calls: 'Still a Collision Sport'

Even one of the NFL's most prominent quarterbacks thinks the league is going too far to protect its signal-callers with roughing-the-passer penalties this season.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers suggested as much after his team's Sunday tie against the Minnesota Vikings featured questionable roughing penalties on Minnesota's Eric Kendricks and Green Bay's Clay Matthews, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. 

"What do you say to Clay? His head is out of it. His hand is on the ground. That's not roughing the passer. Same thing with Kendricks. What do you say to him on that? I didn't get up off the ground thinking, 'Where's the penalty?' I saw a late flag and couldn't believe there was a penalty on the play. I'm a traditionalist. I've watched the game and loved the game for a long time. And some of the rules help, but some of the rules, maybe are going in the wrong direction. They're trying to think about the progress of the game and the safety and stuff. But it's still a collision sport, and those to me are not penalties."

The penalty on Matthews was particularly important because it wiped out what was likely a game-winning interception by Jaire Alexander. Instead of having the ball to ice the victory following the pick, Green Bay was unable to stop Kirk Cousins and the Vikings offense from scoring a touchdown and converting the two-point play to force overtime and the eventual tie.

"Obviously, the NFL is going to double down and side with the refs," Matthews said, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. "I don't think we expected anything differently when we submitted the play. I think we all know it was an incorrect call. I think everybody—including Vikings fans—see it the same way. But much like the helmet rule in the preseason, it kind of feels as if they're just feeling this thing out and waiting for a hit—or lack thereof hit—to kind of determine the future of the callings."

Demovsky noted the NFL said upon review the Matthews call was correct and even planned on using it as part of a video demonstration to players on what not to do when attempting to sack and hit the quarterback. 

Despite Matthews' assertion the league was undoubtedly going to back the officials, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reported NFL senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron admitted a roughing-the-passer penalty of Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett during his team's Week 1 tie against the Pittsburgh Steelers was incorrect.

Pittsburgh scored a touchdown a mere one play later, underscoring how important the sequence was to the outcome.

With defensive players being flagged for using their body weight on tackles of the quarterback, the issue has been under the spotlight through the first two weeks.

According to Pelissero, the 14 roughing-the-passer penalties in Week 1 even before the Monday night game were more than double the 6.8 average per week during the 2017 season.

Even the quarterbacks are noticing, and Rodgers was on the defensive players' side with his comments.