Aaron Rodgers' broken collarbone is bad news for the NFL. That much we can agree on. However, the debate surrounding why and how his injury happened is as hot as ever.
The Green Bay Packers star went down in the first quarter of Sunday's game when he was taken to the ground by Minnesota Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr after he had rolled out from the pocket and threw a pass.
Here's the Aaron Rodgers injury... fell right on his right shoulder.... pic.twitter.com/EAuz571n89
— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) October 15, 2017
As Rodgers was no longer in the pocket, the roughing-the-passer penalty typically levied when a quarterback is driven to the ground after throwing a pass wasn't called. Former VP of officiating Mike Pereira agreed with the call on the field.
That hit on Rodgers was legal. He was out of the pocket on the run.
— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) October 15, 2017
Packers head coach Mike McCarthy did not declare the player or the hit to be dirty, but he came pretty close on Monday.
"(Rodgers was) out of the pocket, he's clearly expecting to get hit, but to pin him to the ground like that, I think was an illegal act," McCarthy said, according to ESPN's Rob Demovsky. "I didn't like the hit. It was totally unnecessary in my opinion."
The league has instituted several rules to help protect its quarterbacks, however, short of instituting a policy that allows referees to change the rulebook on the fly based on how much revenue a player brings to the league, it is tough to really blame Barr for his hit.
As a defender preparing for Rodgers, Barr knew that he couldn't simply arm tackle the quarterback, specifically when he escapes the pocket. Rodgers was fresh off embarrassing the Dallas Cowboys' defense on a key third down a week earlier, picking up 18 yards with his legs on the game's winning drive. Barr's responsibility was to stop Rodgers within the limits of the game, not to ensure the star's health.
Barr didn't target Rodgers' head or knees. His hit was not absurdly late in relation to the speed he was moving when Rodgers released his pass. He didn't leave his feet. All he really did was follow through with the hit to the ground.
McCarthy isn't wrong, though. It was unnecessary for Barr to drive Rodgers to the ground, even if it was within the limits of the rulebook. The ball had been released so apart from causing some sort of injury or extra physical punishment, there's nothing to gain from Barr finishing off his hit.
Does that make the hit dirty or was it just part of the game?
