NFL not planning rule changes after roughing-the-passer controversies

The NFL plans to discuss – but not change – roughing the passer penalties amid outrage over two disputed calls in Week 5, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told the Associated Press.

The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because the conversations are internal, said the league isn’t planning to make any rule changes this season amid outrage over two disputed calls in Week 5. Roughing-the-passer penalties are down 45% from this point last year. Through Week 5 in 2021, 51 were called. Only 28 have been called this season, according to league stats. The person added that the NFL did not give officials a directive to emphasize roughing-the-passer penalties following the controversy around Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion last month.

The league’s Competition Committee comprised of six team owners/executives and four head coaches makes most of the recommendations for rule changes. Teams can also propose rule changes to be voted on by owners, which require 24 votes to pass. One idea, suggested by Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones on Monday night after he was flagged, might be to allow video review of roughing calls.

That is unlikely, according to a person with knowledge of the situation, due to the league’s unsuccessful experiment around a similar call. The league previously made pass interference reviewable for one season after an egregious missed foul late in the fourth quarter in the NFC championship in January 2019 cost the New Orleans Saints a trip to the Super Bowl. The experiment failed miserably and the rule wasn’t considered the next year.

Protecting quarterbacks is a priority for owners, who pay big money for the faces of their franchises, particularly after the controversy