Steelers' Best Defenders Could Benefit Immediately From NFL Proposed Rule Changes

The NFL owners, including Pittsburgh Steelers owner, Art Rooney II, meet this week in Arizona for the Annual League Meetings. One of the major pieces of business is voting on the 2023 playing rule, bylaw and resolution proposals.

The league's competition committee always submits the rules that they feel best protect player safety and benefit the league and this year they submitted eight. The 10-person competition committee is made up of owners, team executives, general managers and head coaches. In addition to committee submissions, teams are also allowed to submit their own rule changes. 

In order for a rule change to take effect or new rule to pass, it must receive the support of 75% of the owners, which works out to be 24 out of 32. Rule changes that are endorsed by the competition committee are the ones that are most likely to pass. 

What Would The New Rules Mean For The Steelers?

The rule changes that would have the biggest impact on the Steelers and other NFL teams are:

• From the competition committee; touchbacks on punts would give the receiving team an extra five yards. The receiving team would get the ball on the 25-yard line, instead of the 20-yard line if the punt results in a touchback. 
• From the competition committee; if the ball is fair caught by a kickoff returner behind the 25-yard line, the receiving team would get the ball at the 25-yard line. This would negate having an accurate punter that can pin the opponent very deep in their own territory as long as a fair catch is called.
• From the competition committee; tripping would become a personal foul. As it stands, tripping is a 10-yard penalty, and if the defense is called for tripping it is an automatic first down for the offense. The new rule would make it a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down if committed by the defense.
• From the completion committee; the definition of "launching" will now be from one or both feet. Currently, it is only launching if both of the player's feet leave the ground. 
• From the Philadelphia Eagles; to permit a team to maintain possession of the ball after a score by substituting one offensive play, which would be 4th and 20 from the kicking team's 20-yard line, for an onside kick. This would essentially eliminate the onside kick. 
• From the Detroit Lions to expand the coaches' challenge system to include personal fouls called on the field 
• From the Detroit Lions; to expand the Replay's Offical's jurisdiction to allow for consultation regarding penalty assessment
• From the Los Angeles Rams; to make fouls for Roughing the Passer called on the field subject to replay assist and/or review by a coach's challenge

That last submission mentioned by the Rams, allowing Roughing the Passer to be reviewed either by replay assistant or coach's challenge, hits close to home for one Steelers' player, defensive tackle, Cam Heyward. 

During the January 8, 2023 game in Pittsburgh against the Cleveland Browns, Heyward was flagged for Roughing the Passer. Twitter went wild with outrage as it appeared to be a clean tackle. Even NFL rules analyst and former referee, Gene Steratore, said the call was an "overreaction." 

The Steelers were leading the Browns early in the fourth quarter, 20-7, when team captain, Heyward, executed what appeared to be a simple tackle of Browns quarterback, Deshaun Watson. The tackle would have stopped the Browns on a 2nd and 7, leaving them with a much more challenging 3rd and 15, instead the questionable call gave the Browns a 1st down that led to a touchdown. 

Heyward voiced his frustration over what he thought was a bad call on his podcast, Not Just Football with Cam Heyward. He also lamented over the way the NFL favors offense to defense. He said what he executed was a text book tackle and doesn't understand how defenders could do anything differently without potentially injuring themselves in the process.

"I don't know what else to do, the dude [Watson] was literally running through tackles the entire game. That's a credit to him, he's a heck of a player. It's not like we heard an inadvertent whistle or anything, if there was a whistle blown, shoot I'll stop. How else am I supposed to play my game?"

Fortunately, the Steelers were able to hang on and win that game 28-14. Heyward also mentioned that he felt as though calls, like roughing the passer, that have such a tremendous impact on the outcome of game, should be available for review or challenge. 

If the Rams get their way, Heyward will get his wish in 2023.

What do you think of the proposed rule changes? Are any of them beneficial? Click to comment below. 

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