NFL Owners Discuss Review Process for Hits on QBs, Defenseless Players

The owners also discussed a harsher punishment for players who hit defenseless players, NFL EVP Troy Vincent said.

During an owners meeting Wednesday morning, NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent told reporters that one of the things discussed was a review process for hitting the quarterback and defenseless players. 

Vincent added that roughing the passer calls are down by 62% from last year. As it stands going into Week 15, there have been just 76 roughing the passer calls compared to the 121 there were called at this time last season, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. 

When discussing player safety and making such hits reviewable, the idea that such a flag would warrant an automatic ejection was also discussed, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Any of the changes being discussed would go through the normal process of a rule change and would not be voted on until the March owners  meeting. 

“The officials have been very consistent and accurate, but they are human,” Vincent said, per Rapoport. 

He went on to say there will be a “healthy discussion” about making such fouls reviewable and whether they can be challenged.