NFL could implement another rule change to help protect quarterbacks

The NFL is always looking for ways to protect quarterbacks and a potential rule proposal this offseason could add another layer to that. The league's competition committee is considering a proposal that would change the intentional grounding rules, giving quarterbacks more freedom to throw the football away to avoid taking a hit.

The new proposal being considered would eliminate the need for quarterbacks to get outside of the pocket before throwing the ball away and would only require that the ball at least reach the line of scrimmage.

The current rule not only requires the ball to reach the line of scrimmage to avoid a grounding penalty, but the quarterback to be outside of the tackle box.

Eliminating the pocket requirement might help quarterbacks avoid the types of hits that produce injuries. Troy Vincent, the NFL's vice president of football operations, noted on Thursday that most quarterback injuries happen on plays inside the pocket and that information might require the grounding rule to evolve. 

Injuries helped contribute to 66 different quarterbacks starting a game during the 2023 NFL season, a development that almost certainly served as one cause for another drop in scoring across the league. 

Quarterbacks are the biggest stars in the NFL, the highest paid players and the league's most impactful players. It is in the league's best interest for them to be healthy and productive. The NFL has gone to great lengths over the past decade to add protections in for them. It does not seem to be stopping in that quest.

While this rule change might cut down on injuries, it could have some unintended consequences when it comes to scoring and making plays. If quarterbacks know they can throw the ball away from anywhere on the field without penalty, there might be more incentive to do that at the first sign of pressure when they are unable to escape the pocket. 

Any new rule change would require 24 votes in favor from the league's owners. Given how much money the league's owners have invested in quarterbacks and how important they are to their team's success, there would seem to be great incentive to keep finding new ways to protect them.