As the NFL continues to wrestle with making the game safer for its athletes, Adam Schefter reports the league is considering a ban on chop blocks.
Big ramifications: NFL’s competition committee considering a rule that would eliminate the chop block for 2016 season, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 29, 2016
At least one former defensive lineman approves this line of thinking, which is hardly surprising.
@AdamSchefter finally. We've seen Dlinemen can be just as important as Quarterbacks. Gotta protect their knees too!!!!
— OSI (@OsiUmenyiora) February 29, 2016
For those who might not be familiar with what a chop block constitutes, it’s when an offensive lineman, tight end or running back takes a dive at a defender’s knees in an attempt to “chop” the defender to the ground. For a more detailed explanation, please refer to the official NFL player conduct guide.
Here is an example of a chop block in action.
https://twitter.com/crshall/status/670064283066175489
Many defensive players have had seasons ended because of this play, which has been legal in the NFL since its inception provided certain qualifiers are met.
Considered to be a dirty play by many, this is a block that should be penalized, and penalized harshly (15-yard variety) to ensure the safety of defensive linemen and linebackers charging hard to make plays.