Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons wants the NFL to get its act together when it comes to running quarterbacks.
Currently, rules that are meant to protect quarterbacks are also being exploited by them. Defensive players can earn harsh penalties and even ejections for hitting a QB as he’s running out of bounds or sliding. QBs know this, and have in some cases faked like they were looking to end a play, only to burst back into game speed as soon as their defender had let off the gas.
Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Parsons called for change.
“I just think the NFL should do a better job clearing up the gray area,” Parsons said. “If a quarterback acts like he’s going out of bounds, he should go out of bounds, that’s where you should mark him at. If he’s acting like he’s going to slide, that’s where you should mark him at. Because at that point, it’s the contact issue.”
Parsons pointed specifically to Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who in addition to his all-world prowess as a passer, has also been taking advantage of teased runs to the sideline throughout his career. An especially blatant move against the San Francisco 49ers earlier in the season brought the ire of NFL fans.
“You see a lot of guys taking advantage and getting extra yards off that. Mahomes wins games off that. We can’t act like these aren’t game-changing opportunities and plays that they’re extending drives on,” Parsons said. “You just never know. There’s so many mobile quarterbacks in the NFL right now.”
The league could undoubtedly be more proactive about preventing these types of plays, but the line between aggression and trickery is always going to be blurry. When is a move a hesitation step to get a defender moving, and when is it an indication that the player is actually going out of bounds? Maybe a rule akin to the NBA’s flopping ban could be in order, but that would just be putting another judgement call in the hands of officials.
Parsons’s solution seems relatively workable—if a player is clearly playing for the sideline or a slide, the play is dead. Even if the NFL can get such a rule in place in the near future, the likes of Mahomes and other elite offensive minds will already be working on their next move.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Micah Parsons Proposes Change to QB Slide Rule Amid Patrick Mahomes Controversy.
