The overprotection of quarterback debate got more traction after Jalen Hurts’ controversial collision with Chicago Bears linebacker D’Marco Jackson. The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback was evaluated for a possible concussion before returning to the game.
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While Jackson was penalized for unnecessary roughness, Hurts got called out by former Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons for taking advantage of the gray area in the NFL’s rulebook.
“Get your a** down earlier, Jalen Hurts,” shared Simmons on the Guerilla Sports podcast. “His foot was just about to touch out of bounds or just did, pop, like simultaneously. You see him coming, get out of bounds.”
With the Eagles facing second-and-4 in Chicago territory, Hurts scrambled toward the right sideline when Jackson struck him in the shoulder. The hit sent Hurts to the ground and resulted in an unnecessary roughness penalty for Jackson.
The hit was serious, as Hurts sat out for some time.
What led to Simmons being upset was how the quarterback should have slid or gone out of bounds earlier, rather than waiting until the defender was already closing in. After all, we have seen how defenders rush full speed, making it difficult for them to stop in time. While Simmons held Hurts accountable, Giants defensive tackle Shelby Harris said the league is at fault.
“It’s not the quarterback’s fault,” said Harris. “This is the NFL’s fault. We have protected quarterbacks so much they’re trying to find ways to get over on the rules. Anytime they question, we get hit. Flat. They say tiptoeing from the sideline. Flat. Don’t wait till the last second. Because if that happens, it’s not on them. You wait until one second for a guy running 21 miles an hour to try to stop and not hit you.”
There has been a long debate about rules meant to protect quarterbacks that are also being exploited by them. Packers LB Micah Parsons had raised concern about this back in 2024.
“I just think the NFL should do a better job clearing up the gray area,” said Parsons. “If a quarterback acts like he’s going out of bounds, he should go out of bounds, that’s where you should mark him at. If he’s acting like he’s going to slide, that’s where you should mark him at. Because at that point, it’s the contact issue.”
Rule 7, Section 2, Article 1(d) of the NFL rulebook states that runners are responsible for initiating their slides in a timely manner.
“A runner who desires to take advantage of this protection is responsible for starting his slide or dive before contact by a defensive player is imminent; if he does not and waits until the last moment to begin his slide, he puts himself in jeopardy of being contacted.”
Critics have called for the ball to be ruled dead as soon as a quarterback shows an intent to go out of bounds or start a slide. However, the NFL is yet to make that decision.
For instance, during the Eagles vs. Bears face-off, the officials threw a flag and called Jackson for unnecessary roughness, giving the Bears an automatic 15-yard penalty. However, the penalty was offset because Eagles tackle Lane Johnson was called for holding.
Jackson might have prepared himself for facing the worst. Per the NFL’s fine rates, a late hit would result in an $11,941 fine. There had also been a chance of holding the Bears linebacker accountable by handing him a $23,882 slip for using his helmet or launching into the quarterback.
But amidst the controversial hit debate, the NFL decided not to penalize Jackson, who was waiting for a ruling on Saturday.
“No fine for Bears LB D’Marco Jackson for his hit on Jalen Hurts from Monday night’s game,” reported The Athletic’s senior NFL writer Kevin Fishbain on Oct. 3.