If anything brings all NFL fans together, it’s yelling about the officials. And it sounds like the absolute worst part of officiating isn’t getting better any time soon.

We’re talking about the one rule that was officiated worse than any in the 2022 season: roughing the passer. NFL officials set a new precedent for overly aggressive flag-throwing with that particular penalty. Guys would let up, lightly tackle, sometimes graze quarterbacks, having the presence of mind to know the dangers of touching them … and the flags came out anyway.

But if you were hoping that the league would take a closer look at how roughing the passer is called and try to improve that process, bad news. It’s not going to change. In fact, it could only get worse. They kind of want it this way.

• THIS IS THE WORST ROUGHING THE PASSER CALL OF THE YEAR! pic.twitter.com/iOfar13srX

  — Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) January 16, 2023

• Based on a series of tweets by Judy Battista of the NFL Network, the league was actually satisfied with the officiating when it came to roughing the passer, and has little “appetite” for changes. According to Battista, one team proposed to make roughing the passer reviewable during a meeting of the Competition Committee at the 2023 NFL Combine. The committee isn’t expected to support the proposal, but it could still come to a vote of owners at March’s league meeting.

  Per Battista, the committee reviewed 80 plays that resulted in a roughing the passer flag, but only deemed three – three – “questionable.” A point of emphasis was “slamming” the QB, versus “slinging” him to the ground. The latter resulted in some truly ticky-tack roughing the passer flags during 2022, like this one from the Falcons’ Grady Jarrett on Tom Brady.

  So, if there’s any hope, MAYBE there will be fewer calls on guys when they’re just slingin’. But as far as “slamming,” or what’s generally been described as falling on the quarterback with your body weight? Expect the flags to keep flying on that one. I blame Aaron Rodgers for breaking his collarbone that one time.

• Committee looked at 80 plays of roughing the passer, found only 3 questionable. Big convo: sling vs. slam. Slam is problematic -- when a defender picks up the QB in the air and slams him on the ground. Slinging is more considered the natural progression.

  — Judy Battista (@judybattista) February 26, 2023

• Ultimately, the league wants fewer, not more, injured quarterbacks. They dodged a serious bullet with Patrick Mahomes’ high-ankle sprain in the divisional round, which he impressively played through all the way to his second Super Bowl championship. But the aim of these penalties is to keep QBs healthy, and NFL Executive Vice President of Football Ops Troy Vincent has made no secrets about that reality.

  Fans may have to simply deal with bad calls from time to time, and that’s nothing new in pro sports. But the problem is, this acts as a deterrent for defensive players from basically doing their jobs, meaning we’re probably going to see less and less contact on quarterbacks over time. That’ll mean healthy superstars and more offense, which would be good for fantasy and gambling and possibly TV ratings. But at what point does it feel like they’re soiling the integrity of the game itself?

  The argument of “just put a flag on the quarterback” has always felt like something of a straw man, but it sounds more plausible every year. It would be hard to blame any American football viewer to get fed up and just accept that quarterbacks can never be hit or tackled in any way.

  Imagine a dystopian NFL future in which “sacks” are simply when a player gets a quarterback “in the grasp” – and even then, you might have to worry about tweaking his throwing shoulder!

• 

  KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – OCTOBER 10: Derek Carr #4 of the Las Vegas Raiders is sacked by Chris Jones #95 of the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2nd quarter of the game at Arrowhead Stadium on October 10, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri. Jones was called for a penalty for roughing the passer. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)

• If you think that’s a tinfoil hat theory, it’s possible you haven’t paid a ton of attention to the league and how it treats quarterbacks. It seems to be only a matter of time until contacting the passer is a thing of the past.

  Best case scenario, we all get to keep groaning about shitty officials.

• Sports Hub Patriots Podcast | Offseason Preview

  (Click here to subscribe to Patriots Audio on 98.5 The Sports Hub.)

• Click here for complete New England Patriots coverage at 985TheSportsHub.com.

  Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt’s content here.

Get The 98.5 The Sports Hub Newsletter Delivered To Your Inbox

Stay up to date with the latest Boston sports news and analysis, local events, exclusive contests, and more.

Email *

Subscribe

By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.