How the NFL Has Gone Soft on Hitting QBs

In the National Football League, quarterback is the marquee position, and as one of only two players that touches the ball on every offensive snap, having a solid starter at the position is essential to a team's success. As a result, keeping the face of your franchise healthy and on the field is of utmost importance to teams across the NFL.

In fact, the safety of players at all positions has become much more of a concern in the NFL, as increased awareness to long-term effects of repeated concussions has led to any number of rule changes, including moving the ball back to the 35-yard line on kickoffs.

However, the powers that be in the National Football League have taken these rules too far where signal-callers are concerned, as any contact that might potentially get a quarterback's jersey dirty seemingly draws a roughing the passer flag and a 15-yard march-off.

Hit the quarterback too high? That's a flag.

Hit the quarterback too low? Another flag.

Call the quarterback an unflattering name? You could hurt his feelings. Flag.

A perfect example of this occurred in Week 14, when Washington Redskins linebacker London Fletcher drew a personal foul for a hit on New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady that was legal by any rational interpretation of the rule book, and that terrible call not only demonstrates the extremes that the league (and its officials) have gone to "protect" quarterbacks, but also the arbitrary manner in which the "rules" are interpreted, especially where a star quarterback such as Brady is concerned.

I'm all for protecting the players, but protecting one position at the expense of another smacks of hypocrisy. The NFL should either loosen the reins a bit where hitting a quarterback is concerned or make the rules the same for everyone and just velcro a couple of flags to every player's hips.