Cincinnati Bengals strong safety Vonn Bell (24) talks to Chicago Bears quarterback Andy Dalton (14) after a play and was penalized for taunting. Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports

NFL will not change taunting rules despite backlash

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated 9/22/21

The NFL’s increased emphasis on penalizing taunting has been a huge source of frustration for both players and fans this season, but the league has no plans to change its approach.

Mark Maske of The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that the NFL feels the enforcement of taunting penalties has “gone as planned” through the first two weeks of the regular season. The competition committee is not expected to intervene, and the NFL expects players to adjust accordingly.

There were eight taunting calls in Week 2. The overwhelming majority felt they were unnecessary. The NFL Players Association agreed and issued a statement on the matter.

For those who aren't a fan of the new taunting rule, we aren't either.
Rules like this are adopted through the competition committee, which includes 11 members: 10 selected by the commissioner + 1 NFLPA rep: https://t.co/6qmocdrldQ. pic.twitter.com/M4mvNkrm99

— NFLPA (@NFLPA) September 20, 2021

Players will simply have to adjust, but the question is whether they should have to. There’s a difference between passion and crossing the line. It seems like the league is categorizing everything under the latter category now. If you saw some of the taunting penalties from Sunday (video here), you would probably agree.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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