The line between football and physicality has always been a fine one. Due to the very nature of the sport, some rough contact is part and parcel of the game. As a result, the NFL‘s recent shift against roughness hasn’t sat well with longtime fans of the sport. In particular, former players and media members have taken offense to the league tightening its rules.
That situation was on full display this week. After the league put out several fines, including a $45,020 fine on the Chiefs’ Isiah Pacheco that garnered heavy criticism, a flag on Xavier Woods led to Greg Olsen lashing out on commentary.
Greg Olsen Does Not Hold Back on Flag Call
The play in question was a second down pass to CeeDee Lamb from backup QB Cooper Rush for the Dallas Cowboys. A second after Lamb caught the ball, a hard tackle from Xavier Woods of the Carolina Panthers brought the end of the down.
However, almost immediately, a flag was thrown and an unnecessary roughness penalty was called on the play. While fans and the Panthers sideline were understandably upset, even the commentators couldn’t make sense of the situation.
While play-by-play announcer Joe Davis tried to attribute it to the speed of the game, Greg Olsen didn’t have it. A former Panthers tight end himself, Olsen laid into the flag, essentially calling the play a regular football move.
Turning his criticism to the league, he had a pointed response to the penalty. “Listen, if you’re going to outlaw this in the NFL, then we just have to tell our defensive backs you gotta let ’em catch it because it’s just not a penalty.”
"Listen, if we're going to outlaw this in the NFL then we just have to tell our defensive backs you gotta let 'em just catch it because it's just not a penalty."
Greg Olsen with some sharp criticism for this flag against Xavier Woods.pic.twitter.com/vhZiHNxDR5
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 15, 2024
Earlier in the week, the fine on Pacheco drew the ire of three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt, who claimed that the NFL was fining players for “playing football.”
It remains to be seen if the NFL soldiers on in its effort to make the sport cleaner, or if the backlash from fans and legends alike leads to a change in direction.