Sherman: NFL 'trying to make it impossible' to play defense
The NFL hasn't just made it harder to play defense in recent years, it's made it borderline impossible, according to one of its most accomplished stars.
"This is what the league wanted," San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman said Thursday, per ESPN's Nick Wagoner. "They want record passing numbers. You've got an average quarterback; the average quarterback's passer rating is like 92 and that used to be Hall of Fame numbers. And now it's not Hall of Fame numbers, that's the average quarterback.
"You can't touch him. You can't tackle him. You can't hit him high, can't hit him low. You can't knock him down to the ground hard ... all that. You can't hit a receiver too high, you can't hit him low, you can't push him. You can barely press him. It's making it really difficult on teams to combat it because every rule in the book is designed to make sure you don't get them stopped."
The NFL has spent the last several offseasons adjusting the way defensive players are allowed to tackle - especially quarterbacks - in an effort to make the game safer. But the amendments have led to more penalties against defenses and allowed offenses to fly high.
In fact, NFL teams are on pace to break a number of major records this season, including total points, touchdowns, passing yards, and completions. Ten quarterbacks are on track to set new franchise records for passing yardage.
"They're just trying to make it impossible for guys to play defense," Sherman said. "It's an interesting league we play in."
The former Seattle Seahawk added that the NFL should start dressing quarterbacks in flags so that defensive players can stop worrying about penalties when rushing the passer.
"If you don't want them touched, don't want them knocked down, these D-ends and D-tackles and linebackers have long arms so they'll be able to snatch these flags off without touching these guys half the time," he said. "So whenever they're ready to move to that, I'm sure defenses will appreciate it."
Sherman made four straight Pro Bowls from 2013-16. An integral member of the Legion of Boom, he helped Seattle win Super Bowl XLVIII at the end of the 2013 campaign.