In the offseason the NFL has implemented several new rules to prevent injuries and to make the game safer.
One of the new rules implemented this offseason has been dubbed the “Aaron Rodgers Rule,” because it was put into place to prevent the injury that occurred when Anthony Barr drove into the Packers QB after a tackle last season.
Here’s the rule via the NFL officiating handbook.
A rushing defender is prohibited from committing such intimidating and punishing acts as “stuffing” a passer into the ground or unnecessarily wrestling or driving him down after the passer has thrown the ball, even if the rusher makes his initial contact with the passer within the one-step limitation provided for in (a) above. When tackling a passer who is in a defenseless posture (e.g., during or just after throwing a pass), a defensive player must not unnecessarily or violently throw him down or land on top of him with all or most of the defender’s weight. Instead, the defensive player must strive to wrap up the passer with the defensive player’s arms and not land on the passer with all or most of his body weight.
During today’s Vikings-Jags preseason game, Vikings’ Antwione Williams sacked Jaguars backup QB Cody Kessler and was called for “roughing the passer” for a play that would have been pretty routine in the past.
This was a roughing the passer penalty, multiple angles pic.twitter.com/NpwUkcF3cx
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) August 18, 2018
Roughing the passer!! Welcome to 2018. pic.twitter.com/oIIrVplQAO
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) August 18, 2018
Of course NFL fans were absolutely furious with the new rule.
Pretty much we all might of thought football was almost dead last season well its officially flag football now pic.twitter.com/qJFw5Q4TVA
— Patrick Haupt (@bigpat6161) August 18, 2018
Vikings fan here, there has been about 5 flags called on the Jags today that have been absolutely blasphemy. Just brutal.
— Mitch (@mitchjk21) August 18, 2018
It's official… QBs have skirts on pic.twitter.com/DGagqwPccB
— E320 Cab (@ppuccia1) August 18, 2018
That’s awful. You guys complaining about this helmet rule – this is the true death knell for football right here.
— Jimmy Hot Takes (@JimmyHotTakes) August 18, 2018
Just call the whole thing off, meaning the 2018 season, if this is roughing the penalty. Protect the QB from cheap shots and the like, absolutely, but the season will quickly devolve into farce if this is consistently called a penalty
— Erik Boland (@eboland11) August 18, 2018
Just Unbelievable. Don't know what else to say. NFL football as we know it may be over,
— Larry Cooper (@CooperLarry) August 18, 2018
Between this rule and the new lowering the helmet rule, the game of football may have changed overnight.
h/t CBS Sports