Azeez Al-Shaair has faced backlash for his hit on Trevor Lawrence, which resulted in a concussion for the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback.
While many are calling for the NFL to implement urgent changes to its rulebook to address the issue of QBs sliding, Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion, has weighed in on the controversy.
However, Brady’s comments have not sat well with Shannon Sharpe, who expressed displeasure with Brady’s perspective on the matter.
Brady, now retired, appeared on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, where he surprisingly sided with Al-Shaair regarding the NFL’s ban on the hit.
Pointing to Lawrence’s slide, Brady explained, “When you do that, I don’t think the onus of protecting an offensive quarterback who’s running should be on a defensive player.
I don’t think that’s really fair to a defense.” These comments sparked criticism from Sharpe, who felt Brady was being hypocritical. In the December 6th episode of the Nightcap podcast, Sharpe labeled Brady the “wrong messenger,” saying, “Tom Brady is the wrong messenger.
Because they had the rule changed [for him]. Does he not know the Brady rule was instituted to protect him? Because of a lot of these rules that they put in place to protect the quarterback, he benefited from them.”
Although Sharpe’s point about Brady benefiting from rules meant to protect quarterbacks is valid, the question remains whether Brady has truly switched sides.
After all, Brady himself was once on the receiving end of a brutal tackle, before the NFL started to make changes to better protect quarterbacks. Recalling an incident from the early 2000s, Brady said, “I remember in 2001. I think we played at Buffalo and I slid late.
Nate Clements was the corner for the Bills, and he came up out of the secondary and absolutely crushed me. My helmet went flying off.” Fortunately for Brady, he wasn’t concussed like Lawrence, and he returned to the huddle for the next play.
While Brady may not be the best person to defend Al-Shaair’s actions, the broader NFL community has voiced strong opinions on the issue. Many fans are calling for the NFL to address the issue of quarterbacks sliding.
The slide rule was introduced to protect quarterbacks who leave the pocket or are scrambling to pick up rushing yards. However, it has now become a point of contention, especially considering the split-second timing involved in plays like the one that left Trevor Lawrence concussed.
Defenders often struggle to adjust their direction when a quarterback suddenly slides, leading some fans to advocate for the removal of the slide rule entirely. One fan stated, “Get rid of the QB slide. We gotta stop having separate rules for the Quarterback. Once you leave the pocket, it should be on the QB to get down the same way WRs and RBs do.”
Another fan echoed the sentiment, saying, “They need to get rid of the QB slide. It’s unnecessary and bad for your health. And you’re putting the defense in an impossible situation. Just go down like any other offensive player.”
The controversy has also led some to argue that Al-Shaair’s three-game suspension was excessive, with one fan stating, “3 games is excessive. Media forced y’all into that. Get rid of the slide in football. It’s a false sense of protection and is manipulated far too much.”
As the debate continues, all eyes are on the NFL to see how they will respond to this controversy. The league must come to a decision that balances the protection of quarterbacks with the challenges faced by defenders trying to prevent key yardage gains.
