NFL Fans Stunned After Learning Footballs Contain A Tracking Chip That Isn’t Harnessed During Games

The NFL is one of the biggest professional sports leagues on the planet and consequently rakes in an insane amount of money on a yearly basis (the organization reportedly generated almost $10 billion in revenue over the course of the 2021-22 season).

That massive pile of cash means Roger Goodell and Co. have no shortage of resources to provide fans with the best possible product. That includes the ample amount of technology the NFL has at its disposal; the league has taken plenty of steps to embrace that aspect of the game, but its approach has also left plenty to be desired.

If you tuned into the World Cup, you likely know the sport the vast majority of the world refers to as “football” has expertly deployed VAR and other high-tech solutions to cut down on instances where an erroneous call has a major impact on the outcome of the game.

The NFL’s officiating crews do have access to a variety of camera angles they can consult when reviewing close plays, but the human element still rears its ugly head on an unfortunately regular basis. That’s especially true in cases concerning the location of the ball, including debates over whether or not it crossed the goal line or where it should be spotted during crucial drives.

Nothing highlights that second issue more than the fairly infamous incident that transpired when Gene Steratore pulled out an index card to confirm Dallas had converted a first down after the chain gang trotted out onto the field during a game between the Cowboys and the Raiders in 2017.

The fact that the NFL is still relying on that archaic measuring method in 2023 is absurd enough on its own. However, it’s even worse when you consider every single football apparently contains a tracking chip that can be used to monitor the location of the pigskin, which plenty of fans were stunned to learn after the league’s Next Gen Stats account tweeted out this tidbit containing Tyler Huntley’s ill-fated QB sneak attempt against the Bengals on Sunday.

How close was Tyler Huntley to crossing the plane with the football?

According to the chip in the football, the closest the ball got to the end zone was 0.6 yards from the goal line.#BALvsCIN | #RavensFlock | #RuleTheJungle

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 16, 2023

There are obviously some logistical issues with harnessing that technology during games (while the location of the ball can be tracked, there’s currently no way to definitively sync it with the location of various body parts on plays concerning where the ball was when a player was ruled down).

This also isn’t really a new development or one that the NFL has attempted to keep a secret. With that said, that revelation still caused plenty of football fans to express their disbelief after learning about the chips for the first time.

Here’s to hoping we eventually reach a point where that dream becomes a reality.