Ad Disclosure
I Guess Jaxson Dart Can Just Launch Himself Headfirst into a Defender, Because He’s a Protected Quarterback
Published:
We’ve got all week to rip the Eagles for their heartless, gutless, spineless performance in North Jersey a few days ago, but first, let’s take a look at one of the worst sequences currently happening in the NFL:
On one hand, you have a QB putting his head down and fighting for every yard. He’s right at the first down marker and trying to pick up a fresh set of downs. It’s a ballsy effort play from the rookie.
On the other hand, this is a 15-yard penalty for leading with the helmet, a point of emphasis rule change several years ago that doesn’t seem to be called very much in 2025. This play should have been flagged and brought back. The contact is obviously not incidental since he’s launching himself forward and initiating the contact.
What’s more annoying, and more common actually, is that Jihaad Campbell is doing what most defenders do when a quarterback is near the sideline. He’s letting up and essentially shepherding Dart out of play, because he knows that he can be flagged for a late hit if Dart steps out at the last minute. It’s one of the trickiest plays for defenders to handle because quarterbacks are a protected species and will get those types of calls more often than running backs or receivers.
Quarterbacks, of course, know their status as privileged players and oftentimes take advantage of this. How many times have you grumbled to yourself when a defender meets the QB at the sideline and the QB turns upfield and lowers his shoulder to get the extra yard, knowing that the defender is flat-footed and slowing up while playing to avoid a penalty flag?
It’s one of football’s more bothersome sequences and it really handicaps defenders who are playing within the restrictions placed on them. Of course, Dart is probably going to be crushed if he takes too many risks, but Brian Daboll will be there to yell at the doctors and speed up the concussion check in the blue medical tent.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com