Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair has received support from numerous members of the NFL community after the league handed him a three-game suspension for a controversial hit he delivered to Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence last Sunday, which left Lawrence with a concussion.
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio suggested the NFL's competition committee could explore making a rule that would punish players who slide feet-first during games to prevent such incidents from occurring.
On Thursday, reporters asked Jameis Winston of the Cleveland Browns "about quarterback slides" and if signal-callers "have to slide earlier" while completing scrambles.
"Personally, as a quarterback, man, we have to be able to protect ourselves," Winston responded, per the Browns' website. "When we’re sliding in the middle of defenders feet first, that’s tough. They’re taught to hunt, and I think in terms of the defender, man, I do believe that sometimes you can let up and you can let them go. But man, that’s tough. This is football that we play. And the NFL has done so much to protect the quarterback position, especially within the pocket."
Former NFL head coach Rex Ryan believes that quarterbacks "should be taught to dive at the ankles of the defender" rather than to slide feet first to avoid being hit high at the end of scrambles. Living legend Tom Brady thinks the NFL should maybe "fine or penalize a quarterback for sliding late" and that "quarterbacks need to take better care of themselves."
Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins has a well-known history of concussions and said earlier this week he agreed with Brady's points. Winston didn't go that far, but he also hinted he doesn't think Al-Shaair was guilty of a "dirty hit" on Lawrence.
"I think as quarterbacks," Winston explained, "when you slide feet first into a crowd of defenders, man, they’re taught to hunt. We have to find a better way to protect ourselves. And I just, I think the three-game suspension, it’s out of my control. I just, I think everyone has a role in protecting the quarterback — defenders and ourselves."
As much as the NFL wants to keep starting quarterbacks healthy and in lineups, it can't ignore the takes shared by Brady, Tagovailoa and Winston. If nothing else, the topic of possibly trying to eliminate feet-first slides should be discussed during winter and springtime meetings well before preseason games get underway.
