Satire and spoof spawned several unnamed NFL franchises to file proposals Thursday with the league to outlaw blocked field goals at next year’s owners meetings, sources told Heavy, after the Philadelphia Eagles stuffed two Rams’ kicks in the fourth quarter of last Sunday’s epic 33-26 comeback win. The argument being floated to the competition committee? You guessed it – safety.
One executive who asked to remain amonomous claims the left side of the kicking formation is “unprotected and vulnerable to sudden impact,” while another raised concerns about “potential lower-body injuries since some of the kicking team linemen have been deemed vulnerable to ‘decleation’ by much bigger opponents.” Others cited the mental toll the snuffed kicks have on place-kickers. “We’re talking about bruised egos, shattered confidence, and potential careers derailed by humiliation,” one GM said.
The movement hasn’t stopped there. A.J. Brown’s Allen Iverson-style step-over, where he caught a critical fourth quarter, third down pass and stepped over Rams cornerback Darious Williams (who was actually a teammate of Jarrian Jones, the guy that Saquon Barkley famously leaped over backwards last year against Jacksonville) like he was Tyronn Lue in the 2001 NBA Finals, and scampered his way for 15 more yards, has reportedly been brought up in closed-door conversations. Critics say Brown’s copy-cat move is “condescending and aesthetically damaging” and “unsafe for the dignity of cornerbacks” specifically citing mental health concerns for it’s players. NFL rules analyst Dean Blandino was even quoted as saying, “We can’t have receivers Iverson-ing defenseless, Rageddy Ann-like defensive backs. It’s impossible to officiate dignity.” Williams was sent to Jefferson Hospital overnight for observation Sunday when rumors began circulating after the game that Brown and his move is the current front-runner for the cover of Madden – 27 next year.
Then there’s Philadelphia’s 19-point comeback, their second largest comeback in franchise history. Multiple sources indicated owners are grumbling that such swings create “unsafe stress levels” for opposing fans, including dangerous spikes in blood pressure, cortisol swings, aerterial fribulation, and, in some cases, long-term trust issues with their own franchises. One league figure even suggested second half deficits of 17 points or more to be “automatically capped” in the name of competitive balance and in the spirit of the mercy rule.
The reasoning is predictable – call it unsafe, call it ugly, call it impossible to officiate, whether it’s blocked kicks, Iverson flashbacks, or miracle comebacks, the agenda always seems to be the same – safety first and stopping the Eagles from finding ways to win football games a close second.
- Article 12.4: Any blocked field goal attempt by Philadelphia shall be ruled a dead ball and the kicking team shall be granted an untimed do-over.
- Article 15.7: Wide receivers may not step over fallen defenders they just posterized, but rather daintily step around them – known informally as the “Tyronn Lue Rule.”
- Article 19.3: Second half deficits of more than 17 points shall be suspended pending medical reviews, potentially epic bad beats, and long-term franchise betrayal issues.
- Article 24.0: Any play the Eagles execute successfully for two consecutive weeks will be automatically reviewed for safety concerns, aesthetic appeal and officiating level of difficulty.
- The San Francisco 49ers have been hit hard with injuries to the wide receiver group heading into and through the first three games of the 2025 NFL season. With players missing, Ricky Pearsall has had the chance to step up and become a reliable target.
- Pearsall recorded 400 receiving yards last season in 11 games for the 49ers, according to Pro Football Reference. The 25-year-old is close to reaching that mark in Year 2, having recorded 100-plus receiving yards in two of the three games he has played this season. His best performance came in the 16-15 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.Amid Pearsall’s impressive start to the season, former 49ers quarterback Steve Young appeared on KNBR and revealed that he’s amazed by what he’s seen from the second-year receiver.
“He’s Steve Smith a little bit,” Young said. “I feel like he has body control, and he’s going to get open. It’s not going to be—like you said—explosive. It’s not like he comes out of the gate and it’s, ‘Oh, watch out.’ But he understands. I feel like he really understands the spatial relationships on the field.
“That’s something Brent Jones had in a huge way from a tight-end spot, really having a sense of all the people on the field, where they are, where they’re going, what’s going to happen, and how he can fit in.
And that’s just a knack… But Ricky, as a quarterback, he’s going to be where you think he’s supposed to be. You know what I mean? He’s going to find that space, especially against zones.”