Ever since the NFL decided to beef up the enforcement of rules on the books regarding hitting defenseless receivers in the head or with the head (we should just call it “the Rodney Rule” for short), defensive players throughout the league -- and some offensive players -- have complained about the new approach.
Giants defensive end Justin Tuck took a different approach. Appearing on Thursday’s episode of ESPN’s Jim Rome is Burning, Tuck spoke out in favor of the new emphasis.
“The number one thing is player safety, and as players you’ve got to have that in the back of your head,” Tuck said. “A big kill shot on a quarterback or an offensive player is not more important than the fact of him being able to walk away from the game and go play with his kids at night. That’s something that we all have to keep in the back of our heads, and just play the game how it’s meant to be played. I know the fans and everybody’s gotten so accustomed to all these big hits, but you’ve just got to do it within the rules of the game. The league is definitely making that an emphasis, so you’ve just got to abide by it.”
Well, Justin, you’ve just guaranteed that you’ll never play for the Steelers.