Tuesday the NFL approved an injury spotter in the press box, in addition to other rule changes geared at improving the safety of the game.
More from NFL
- Joe Burrow owes Justin Herbert a thank you note after new contract
- Chiefs gamble at wide receiver could already be biting them back
- Chargers loosen grip on checkbook to pay Justin Herbert: Best memes and tweets
- Patriots backup plan for DeAndre Hopkins is a shot in the dark
- Raiders: Saquon Barkley’s new contract may have screwed over Josh Jacobs
League-wide the NFL is still reeling from last Monday’s announcement that Chris Borland, a 24-year-old on-the-rise inside linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers, was retiring from the NFL after just one season in the league.
It was reported by many that Borland had been doing a lot of research on concussions and post-NFL life and simply decided one season was enough for him. Well, partially in response to that, but also the larger and growing player safety issue, the NFL announced on Tuesday five new rules to take effect next season to increase player safety.
The primary one, though the least direct, is the addition of an injury spotter up in the press box during games. That person will be able to call down to the officials on the field is a player is spotted from up top as injury prone, or looks to possibly have a concussion.
Rules Committee chairman Rich McKay told NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport Tuesday that in large part it stemmed from seeing Julian Edelman during the Super Bowl play through what looked like concussion symptoms.
“The Edelman situation was a play we looked at and it was part of the issue,” said McKay. “There were a couple other plays that go back a couple of years that we looked at and really it came a little bit from the health and safety committee just saying, ‘We’ve got the spotters, they’ve got a really good vantage point, they’ve got technology in their booth, they’re communicating pretty well with our trainers and doctors and we’ve got a pretty good rhythm going there, why would we miss where a player shouldn’t come out?”
In addition, the committee approved four other rules designed to protect players, including: banning players from pushing the long snapper on a punt (just like on field goals), banning peel back blocks, banning running backs from chipping on an already engaged pass rusher and granting receivers more protection as defenseless receivers.
These new safety rules come a day after the competition committee clarified the controversial catch rule by redefining making a “football move” with “must establish himself as a runner”. Yet that rule would still not have made Dez Bryant’s catch on fourth-and-1 in the NFC Divisional Round at Green Bay a legal catch.
More from FanSided
- Joe Burrow owes Justin Herbert a thank you note after new contract
- Chiefs gamble at wide receiver could already be biting them back
- Braves-Red Sox start time: Braves rain delay in Boston on July 25
- Yankees: Aaron Boone gives optimistic return date for Aaron Judge
- MLB Rumors: Yankees-Phillies trade showdown, Mariners swoop, India goes to Seattle