Roughing the passer penalties have drawn the ire of many NFL fans as the league has emphasized the call in recent years. Like every other team, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been impacted by questionable calls that didn’t go their way. Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt in particular have been robbed of chances to increase their sack totals.
During this year’s competition committee, one NFL team has proposed a rule change that would make roughing the passer reviewable via replay. However, per NFL.com’s Judy Battista, it doesn’t seem likely to pass.
Battista does not name the team proposing the rule change.
In their mission to protect quarterbacks and reduce injuries that greatly impact the game, the league has ramped up roughing the passer calls and protections over the years. Everything from contact to the helmet to the “body weight” call, a defender landing too directly on a quarterback, can draw a flag. And they’re game-changing plays that can turn a third down incompletion into a 15-yard penalty and fresh set of downs.
To the NFL’s credit, roughing the passer calls decreased in 2022. In 2021, there were 154 such calls. That number dropped to just 93 this past season. Pittsburgh was called for it just once all season and generally, the league has adapted. Still, it’s been a sore spot for defenders and some teams have still been highly penalized. The New York Giants led the league with eight calls against them in 2022. Perhaps they’re the team attempting to make it reviewable.
But based on Battista’s comments, it doesn’t sound like there’s much momentum for it to pass. We’ll see what the competition committee does approve. Anything that passes there would then be voted on during the owner’s meetings later in the year.
