This year, as the NFL season rolls on, the debate over roughing the passer calls seems to grow louder. Quarterbacks, the focal point of many offenses, often find themselves at the mercy of officiating decisions that can significantly impact game outcomes. Justin Herbert, the Los Angeles Chargers’ star quarterback, has drawn attention for his relatively low number of roughing the passer penalties since entering the league in 2020. Especially considering he’s still got eight accumulated penalties. This total places him in a tie with some big time names, like Dak Prescott and Josh Allen.
As of this season, Dak Prescott is the league’s poster boy, with four accepted roughing the passer penalties on the books. At the same time, Herbert’s sum may underscore something of a new trend among quarterbacks, who are speaking out more than ever about their experiences with horrible officiating. As Herbert prepares to face the Philadelphia Eagles on “Monday Night Football,” he reflects on the challenges of advocating for himself in a league where the rules seem to favor the established stars.
Justin Herbert arrived in the NFL in 2020 and took it by storm. He’s drawn eight RTP penalties himself, which puts him in a tie for the fifth-most with Kirk Cousins, Dak Prescott, Josh Allen, and Jared Goff. In stark contrast, Matt Ryan holds the record for the most accepted roughing the passer penalties since 2000, totaling 26. Ryan attributes his lofty count to the time period he played. He insists that crediting his success mostly goes to the changes to the officiating rules in 2009 to enhance protection for quarterbacks from hits to their legs.
Josh McCown, though he’s a former quarterback, is tied for sixth all-time with 17 accepted penalties since 2000. Here, he shares the lessons learned as conversations around protecting quarterbacks continue to shift. Although McCown has thrown nearly 6,000 fewer passes than Matt Ryan, McCown has had some interesting things to say about officiating on his own. “I usually remember getting up and thinking, ‘Man, you’d give Drew Brees that call,’ or, ‘You’d give Tom Brady that call,’” he remarked. McCown’s story highlights a feeling that all quarterbacks share, that some players get special treatment with regard to penalty enforcement.
Roughing the passer penalties created a resurgence of interest when they became a hot topic during a prime time NFL match up. Justin Herbert had a rare Stevens-like freakout on state officials following a shot from Alex Highsmith. After being contacted below the knees shortly after releasing the ball, Herbert spun around with arms outstretched and expressed his frustration to the referee.
During this punting season when quarterbacks have begun to assert themselves by going to the officials, Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh weighed in on Herbert’s plight. Harbaugh further defended, advocating that Herbert was being set up to fail after absorbing six sacks from the Cleveland Browns. This situation points to a disturbing new reality for QBs that seems increasingly necessary for our QB1s to do their own self-defense on the field.
For all his frustrations, Herbert has taken a long-range view in his handling of officiating. “I realized arguing is not going to get me anywhere,” he said. He further explained his philosophy on engaging with referees: “If I make a big deal out of it, odds are they’re not going to call it. The tougher I advocate, the more I push, the more I sense they’re going to just reject my advocacy. I’ve got to be smart here. His outlook indicates both the recognition that keeping a stiff upper lip will get you further than shaking your fist and shouting profanities.
The competitive climate in the NFL is real across the board, and every single quarterback is faced with their own issues with officiating. Prescott ranks first in the league in accepted penalties this year. He ranked first among uncalled roughing the passer in a completely casual and funny way. “I probably owe a few officials an apology,” he joked.
Statistics show that roughing the passer calls are random and hard to predict year over year. This apparent inconsistency leads to several key issues regarding the fairness of the officiating. Herbert remains focused on his performance on the field and is determined to stay upright against formidable opponents like the Eagles. “For me, if they call it great, if we get that 15 yards, then we’re moving forward,” he explained. That said, he admits that these decisions are not his to make at the end of the day.
The issue of roughing the passer penalties is complicated and bigger than any one player’s experience. In fact, the Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is at the center of the controversy. Even Chargers players called him out for flopping in Week 6. He offered insight into how quarterbacks perceive hits: “If somebody touches me, if they hit me and I fall, I’m falling. I have a quick release, but I still get hit 2 seconds after the ball leaves my hand. In those situations, I look to the ref and go, “Dude!
Teams are preparing for their next matchups, getting into the recovery cycle now. Meanwhile, uni-ball quarterback protection continues to be a perennial favorite of player and coach discourse. Matthew Stafford highlighted this sentiment by stating, “If I see something, I just try to make those guys aware.”
As conversations about roughing the passer penalties continues, we need to focus on what’s really driving professional football. It places a priority on accountability, player safety and fairness in officiating. Players are increasing their efforts to fight for their rights on and off the field. We’ll be watching to see how these oftentimes contentious discussions influence the decisions that government leaders will ultimately make going forward.
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