NFL legend wants league to address ‘armed quarterback slide’ after Trevor Lawrence injury
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair’s hit on Jacksonville Jaguars star Trevor Lawrence has sparked a debate about quarterbacks’ tactics when it comes to sliding after protests.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Thomas weighed in on the conversation Tuesday after the NFL announced Al-Shaair’s three-game suspension. He wrote in X that the league needs to eliminate the so-called “armed quarterback slide” in the sport.
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Former Cleveland Browns player Joe Thomas reports on the sidelines before the game between the Browns and the New York Jets at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland on Dec. 28, 2023. (Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports)
“As dangerous as a quarterback hit is when the quarterback chooses to slide, we need to stop allowing quarterbacks to slide or slide late to gain yardage and confuse linebackers when the quarterback slides or not,” Thomas wrote. “It will go a long way in taking those bad moments out of the game and making things safer for the quarterback and the linebacker.
“A late slide, a fake slide, or pretending to go out of bounds and jump a few more yards; all of these should be 15-yard penalties against the offense. And it’s time for the NFL referees to start marking. The ball drops as fast as the quarterback starts. smoothness… What a law by the way!
“If this happens, big hits on quarterbacks when they slide will be completely eliminated from the game. That’s what we all want, right?”
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, #16, slides down the field in front of Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, #0, in the second quarter at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on -Dec. 1, 2024. (Photos by Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn)
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The play in question occurred late in the second quarter of the Texans’ game against the Jaguars on Sunday.
Lawrence ran a few yards and then decided to slide. At that moment, Al-Shaair came in and nailed Lawrence in the head and neck area with his forearm. The hit caused an altercation between Texans and Jaguars players.
NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan issued a strong statement about Al-Shaair as the league announced his suspension on Tuesday.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, #16, slides for a touchdown as Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, #0, makes a touchdown during the second quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, December 1 , 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. (Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union)
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“Your lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game of football and all who play, coach, and enjoy it is troubling and does not reflect the core values ​​of the NFL … you and your opponents are at risk and will not be tolerated,” Runyan said in part.
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