Over the past several years, Steelers players have developed a habit of complaining about the league’s efforts to make the game safer. When it comes to the new rule that prohibits lowering the helmet to initiate contact, a pair of Steelers players welcome the change.
Offensive lineman Ramon Foster (pictured) likes the new rule, in part because each of his four concussions occurred when a defender used his helmet to hit Foster in the helmet.
“Every time has been a D-lineman or a linebacker head first,” Foster said, via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Last year when we played the Patriots, 52 [linebacker Elandon Roberts], the same thing, head first. He’s a heady guy. I hate heady guys.”
So Foster welcomes the new rule with open arms, and non-lowered helmet.
“I’m not opposed, not even a little bit,” Foster said. “It’s because I know what the safety of the game is, and if I can pull my head out of the situation — meaning my helmet — then I will do that. If they’re trying to protect it, I’m not going to fight that.”
Safety Morgan Burnett also likes the rule change, even though past Steelers safeties like Ryan Clark and Mike Mitchell were at the forefront of complaining about safety rules.
“You can tell that the league is taking control of player safety, and that’s really big for players,” Burnett said. “You don’t want to see any guy get hurt or have any effects from this game once they leave the game. So I think that’s real big and very important, to make player safety first.”
While it’s possible other Steelers don’t feel quite that way, the fact that any Steelers are willing to speak out so clearly and strongly in support of safety is both encouraging and surprising. And as long as the new helmet rule doesn’t fundamentally change the game, that’s a good thing for everyone.