James Harrison could’ve played in plenty of eras. The 1990s. The 1970s. Heck, he probably would’ve been a Hall of Famer in the 1950s. The one era he wouldn’t have had success? The current one. Always one to speak his mind against the NFL and their rule changes to increase player safety and reduce violent collisions, Harrison discussed his thoughts on the direction Roger Goodell is taking the league on the most recent episode of Cam Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast.
“Assumptions of risk,” Harrison told Heyward. “There’s things in life and jobs in life that’s just part of the playing the game. That’s part of the risk. Police, they protect and they hope they get home. But it’s a possibility they may not make it. You wish that’s not the case. There’s things they can do to try and mitigate that. But dude, you go out here and you play football and I hit you. A dude acts like he’s hurt, it’s a flag. Anything that hurts someone now is a penalty. And the game can’t be played without people getting hurt.”
Harrison is speaking to the line the NFL has attempted to walk in the past 15 years. As the severity of concussions, head injuries and CTE become more known and unable to be swept under the rug, the league has had to respond to make its game safer. And everyone, Harrison surely included, doesn’t want to see players suffer from the fatal consequences multiple concussions can lead to.
The league has swung in the other direction. Gone are the days of promoting mega hits, ESPN’s “Jacked Up!” segment and the league selling photos of illegal hits, as they did with Harrison during the 2010 crackdown. The NFL made its most radical change this year, altering kickoff formations to reduce the car crash collisions that led to a higher rate of head injuries. And they banned the hip drop tackle, a rule Harrison spoke out against.
“You’re telling the guy he can’t grab him and then drop his weight. How are you supposed to tackle him if you can’t drop your weight? You’re just sitting there going along for the ride. I think it’s stupid. These rules are being made by guys who have no understanding, knowledge of how to tackle.”
Despite Harrison’s protest, and continued dislike of Roger Goodell, the trend will continue. In small respects, the league may try to get rid of “safety” rules that didn’t actually harm the player. Accidentally grazing a quarterback’s head is no longer a penalty. There must be forcible, not incidental contact. Instituted ahead of the 2022 season, that’s driven down roughing the passer penalties.
Roughing The Passer Penalties (2018-2023)
2023: 99
2022: 93
2021: 154
2020: 127
2019: 136
2018: 118
But largely, the NFL has made the strike zone smaller for defenders and tackling more difficult. The NFL views it in the interest of player health and good for the game, resulting in more points, fewer injuries, even if those who played before think it’s damaging the sport. Harrison is right the game can’t prevent everyone from getting hurt. But their goal is to reduce that number as much as possible.
