In an effort to protect quarterbacks from serious injury, the NFL unintentionally created a season-ending problem for Miami Dolphins lineman William Hayes.
And he’s not happy about it.
While speaking to Mike Garofolo of NFL Media, Hayes was critical of the so-called body-weight rule that demands defenders avoid landing entirely on a quarterback.
“You’re basically telling us, ‘You can tackle everybody on the field one way, but this one guy, you’re going to have to figure out how you can torque a 280-pound body in different ways to take the pressure off him.’ It’s frustrating as hell.”
Hayes tore the ACL in his right knee during the team’s Week 3 victory over the Oakland Raiders. As a result, he’ll be sidelined for the remainder of 2018.
The NFL, however, recently announced there would be no changes to the rule forbidding players to land on the quarterback with their body weight.
Hayes’ frustration is understandable, especially since no other ball-carriers are afforded the same protection. Getting to the quarterback as quickly as possible yet not being as aggressive once the objective is within grasp must be extremely difficult.
Although the NFL had decent intentions when creating the rule, it’s mostly been a nuisance to begin 2018.