The NFL tries to defend quarterbacks by fining defenders who hit them after they pass. But one quarterback doesn’t want that protection.
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco says he hates seeing defensive players, some of whose career earnings are less than 1 percent of Flacco’s, losing money for hitting him.
“It’s a violent sport. It’s meant to be that way,” Flacco said, via ESPN. “I definitely have feelings for those guys over there because not only are they penalizing people and affecting outcomes of games but they’re also taking paychecks away from people and they’re acting like it’s no big deal. But it is a big deal. That’s a lot of money for anybody. So, there’s a lot of issues with it, I think.”
Flacco said quarterbacks know what they’re getting into and don’t need excessive protections.
“This is football, man,” Flacco said. “We all sign up to get hit. We all sign up where you might get hurt. That’s what makes this league a little bit different than any other in professional sports.”
Flacco’s words will be welcome from defensive players -- and from fans, many of whom think the league has gone too far in the name of protecting quarterbacks.