I’ve had a bit of a change of heart after hearing some insightful comments from former players, especially quarterbacks like Tom Brady. Looking at the hit on Lawrence again, it’s clear it was an aggressive tackle, but when you’ve got 300-pound offensive linemen charging at you, aggression is part of the game. Quarterbacks, in particular, need to be more aware of that reality and take greater responsibility for protecting themselves. Football is a fast, violent sport, and while we often see these plays in slow motion, the impact on Lawrence happened in the blink of an eye.
In hindsight, I think a moderate fine would have been a more fitting response to the hit. And on a separate note, I also believe it’s time to impose a penalty for quarterbacks who fake a slide—there’s a fine line between evading a tackler and creating unnecessary confusion for defenders.