The NFL is going through an awkward transition from laissez-faire bloodsport to something…less bloodsport-y. Players-turned analysts often rush to the side of the “victimized” defensive players who are now faced with…rules. It’s pretty dumb, on both sides:
- It's not like these players learned different rules in high-school and college. Tackling is the same from age 12 onwards: you put your arms around a guy and pull him to the ground. Knocking a guy off his feet is just an impressive but dangerous form of bad tackling.
- Defensive players already learn complicated blitzing and coverage schemes. To suppose they can't figure out how to hit a guy only between the knees and shoulders is a bit cynical.
- All that defensive players do is react. React to a block, react to a ball-carrier cutting, react to a pass. Adding circumstances under which you can't clock another play is only a marginal increase to their rule-bound duties.
- Football is always changing. New offenses, new defenses, new rules, new schemes, etc. Slightly changing how tackling works isn't going to turn football into badminton.
- Players know what they're getting into in the short term: possible injuries. Not as many know what they're getting into on the long term: the possibility of being a zombie.
- Some former-players have gone on to lead productive lives. Others have not, and a few have taken their own life rather than go on with the one football left them. Survivor bias is not a reason for inaction.
