Former Packers player calls for dirty hits on Brock Purdy

Local sports radio isn't exactly known to be a bastion of enlightenment, but former Green Bay Packers tight end Mark Chmura crossed a line yesterday, and as a former player, he should have known better.

Chmura was discussing the upcoming Packers-49ers Divisional Round playoff game on ESPN Milwaukee's Jen, Gabe, and Chewy Show when he said the following:

Chmura's take is terrible, but just as bad is ESPN Milwaukee promoting it as if there's nothing wrong with calling for dirty hits.

I get Chmura's sentiment of "we need to intimidate the opposing quarterback," but there's a better way to express that than saying, "A 15-yard penalty for a late hit on Brock Purdy is not a bad thing." Send the blitz. Get in Purdy's face. Talk some trash. That's all fair game.

Obviously, calling for late hits on a player is not in the spirit of the game. We all understand the "win at all cost" mentality that can sometimes pervade professional sports, but there has to be a line somewhere. That's why Sean Payton and Gregg Williams were suspended for a year for Bountygate, and why players are routinely fined and suspended for late or excessive hits on the quarterback and defenseless players.

It should be noted that the Twitter post from ESPN Milwaukee was filled with replies from Packers fans saying that they don't condone Chmura's comments and that they want a good, clean game on Saturday. Still, it's troubling that this kind of attitude still exists at all, especially from Chmura, who has worked hard to repair his image after his own personal legal troubles, which he was acquitted of, at the end of his playing career.

Former Seahawks and 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman chimed in with the exact right take on the matter. "This is disgusting and has no place anywhere in sports or sports commentary. There is never a scenario where this is ok for any person or team," Sherman said.

The NFL has taken great pains to protect its quarterbacks, because let's face it-- the games are much better when there is good quarterback play. More than half the teams in the league this year saw extended time from backups, and the results, for the most part, were not pretty.

Brock Purdy in particular has been one of the best stories in the NFL, but as the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, he's also one of the league's lowest paid players. Imagine he got injured on a dirty hit and it ruined his career? It wouldn't just potentially cost the 49ers a real chance at winning the Super Bowl this year-- it could derail the organization for the foreseeable future. Modern medicine has made great strides when it comes to getting athletes back on their feet, but you never know. Intentionally wanting to injure a player is unforgivable. Would that be "worth it," as Chmura puts it, if it helped Green Bay to victory?

As a Bears fan, the story calls to mind one of the most egregious hits in NFL history, and a great example of why this sort of attitude needs to be banished from the sport forever. In 1986, the Bears were the defending champs after Super Bowl Shuffling their way through the league, but their title defense was short-circuited by Charles Martin of the Packers, who body-slammed Jim McMahon after McMahon threw a pick.

McMahon dealt with injuries for the rest of his career after this hit, and the Bears have yet to win another Super Bowl.

Luckily for football fans, Chmura hasn't played in the league in nearly 25 years, and his "anything goes" attitude doesn't seem to be shared by anyone on the current Packers roster. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has a long history with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, so that mutual respect should ensure that we don't see any funny business when the teams take the field.

Niners fans undoubtedly remember the unfortunate injury to Purdy in last year's NFC Championship that cost them a chance at a Super Bowl. Purdy's stellar play is a big reason why San Fran is the favorite in the NFC, but the Packers are playing their best football of the season, so let's hope that nothing similar happens this time. Let's have a good, clean game, and may the best team win.