Matthew Slater, a different teamer for the New England Patriots, has expressed his war of words with fresh adjustments made to his house of the sport. As he enters his sixteenth 12 months in the NFL, Slater has been on the box for plenty of kickoffs and feels strongly about the new league rule that permits honest catches on kickoffs for the upcoming season. Under this rule, an excellent catch on a kickoff anyplace inside of a staff’s personal 25-yard line will outcome in a touchback with the ball positioned at the 25.
According to the league, the implementation of this rule is aimed toward expanding player health and protection, with the objective being to cut back collisions that happen all the way through kickoffs. However, Slater is not satisfied that the NFL’s reasoning is legitimate, as he believes that this house is not the most sensible motive for concussions and will have to not be the focal point of change.
Slater argues that there are different spaces the place the league may strengthen protection and health, bringing up examples corresponding to “Thursday Night Football,” artificial turf over herbal grass, and health care and incapacity advantages. Despite the NFL’s declare that player health and protection is paramount, Slater believes that the league does not all the time act accordingly and wondered its priorities.
As a 10-time Pro Bowler and one of the perfect particular staff avid gamers in the league, Slater highlighted the importance of the rule change. He mentioned that “for a player like myself, I wouldn’t have had a career most likely [without] this play,” and recognizes avid gamers corresponding to Steve Tasker and Bill Bates who had careers in the NFL because of the kicking sport.
Slater is not the handiest individual to criticize the rule change. Both Kansas City Chiefs head trainer Andy Reid and Baltimore Ravens John Harbaugh have additionally spoken out towards it. Reid wondered the place it’ll forestall, whilst Harbaugh raised considerations about the affect on the sport’s pleasure.
The Patriots have been one of the groups to vote towards the rule change, and Commissioner Roger Goodell stated that not everybody will agree on the whole thing in the league. The NFL is dedicated to evolving and bearing in mind tips on how to stay the play in a thrilling but protected method.
While the new rule is meant to advertise protection, Slater believes that the NFL is the use of statistics as an excuse to take away the play completely. He argued that the league will have to deal with different extra urgent considerations if protection is really a concern.