NFL should discipline Saints DL for play against Justin Herbert

New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

NFL should discipline Saints DL for dirty play against Chargers' Justin Herbert

By Adam Gretz | Last updated Oct 27, 2024 5:43 PM ET

The NFL has made it clear that it is going to go out of its way to protect its quarterbacks.

They are the biggest stars of the league, the most important players on the field and the players that fans want to see. As such, the league has become increasingly strict on roughing the passer rules and has made it so that even sacks are sometimes penalized if quarterbacks are not tackled properly.

No late hits. No contact to the head and neck area. No hits to the knee or below. No landing on them with your full body weight.

If the NFL is serious about all of this, then it should have no choice but to suspend New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd for this dirty play against Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert on Sunday afternoon.

Dirty play by Nathan Shepherd trying to hurt Herbert.

Bozeman responds pic.twitter.com/XQvbMqugkB
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 27, 2024

That is also a penalty from offensive lineman Bradley Bozeman that Herbert and the Chargers will gladly accept. You have to have your quarterback's back in that situation.

That is no longer a football play. That is a deliberate attempt to injure an opponent and there can be no other way to look at that or sugarcoat it. Not only has Herbert already gotten rid of the football, but Shepherd has Herbert's leg wrapped up and twists it.

Adding to the storyline here is that is the same leg/ankle that limited Herbert earlier this season with a high-ankle sprain.

Nothing about that play can or should be tolerated from a league perspective. It is also the type of play where a fine is not enough. Deliberate attempts to injure are not part of the game.

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz

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