There’s a belief that some quarterbacks get treated differently than others. That belief was bolstered by the alleged remark from now-retired referee to Ed Hochuli to Panthers quarterback Cam Newton that he wasn’t “old enough” to draw a penalty for a late hit.
On Thursday, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, who is now 31, was asked whether he thinks the rules apply differently to him.
“I don’t know,” Wilson said in response to the question at his midweek press conference. “I don’t want to get into that too much with all the stuff behind it. I definitely try to get down. I try to slide. I try not to take wicked hits or anything like that. Sometimes, you get a little elbow or a little extra. I don’t know. I want to play the game tough. I’m going to play it tough and also try to play it smart. It’s their decision to make it. Those are a couple in there that seemed a little bit late.”
So “I don’t know” basically means “yes.” And it’s odd that there does indeed seem to be a seniority-driven effort to protect certain quarterbacks, while letting others fend for themselves.
For Wilson, the next test of a possible double standard comes Sunday, when the Seahawks face the Eagles in the wild-card round of the playoffs.