Viral video of Patrick Mahomes sees history-making NFL scout demand rule change: "Defensive player should have the right to hit him"
Patrick Mahomes has firmly established himself as the best quarterback in the NFL entering the 2023 season. He has also built a reputation for making spectacular throws in seemingly impossible situations sometimes look easy. He was at it again when the Kansas City Chiefs faced off against the Arizona Cardinals during the 2023 NFL preseason.
The superstar quarterback rolled out of the right side of the pocket and all the way to the sideline. It appeared that he was going to give up on the broken play and step out of bounds, but instead fired a pass downfield before his feet came down. While the intended pass landed incomplete near Marquez Valdes-Scantling, it has sparked some debate about the appropriate NFL rules for protecting quarterbacks.
Connie Carberg, the first female scout in NFL history, took particular issue with the situation. She believes that Patrick Mahomes may have found a bit of a loophole in the rules, leaving opposing defenders at an unfair disadvantage.
Here's what Connie Carberg had to say about the situation via her personal Twitter account:
"If a QB is allowed to throw a pass when in the air out of bounds then the defensive player should still have the right to hit him. All defensive players let up when QB’s head out of bounds - like rule change when Pickett did a fake slide."
Carberg brings up a valid point, becasue if a defender were to hit Patrick Mahomes in that situation, they almost definitely would have been flagged for a personal foul penalty. She also referenced Kenny Pickett and his fake slide controversy as a similar example of bending the rules.
While still playing for the Pittsburgh Panthers in college football, Pickett infamously faked a slide in the ACC championship game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. The defender didn't hit him, to avoid being penalized, but Pickett's fake resulted in a touchdown run.
The NCAA quickly changed the rules, stating that a fake slide will be counted as a real one and the ball will be marked down where it happened, banning advancing further yardage. While it's unclear if Patrick Mahomes' controversial throw will also spark a rule change, it wouldn't be the first time his spectacular play on the football field changed the NFL rules.
Patrick Mahomes has already contributed to a major NFL rule change
Most fans remember the epic showdown between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL Playoffs following the 2021 season. Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen featured in a legendary shootout that eventually went to overtime. The Chiefs received the ball first and scored a game-winning touchdown.
The Bills never getting the ball in overtime resulted in the NFL changing the rules, but for playoff games only. The new rule eliminates the sudden-death factor of an opening touchdown, instead allowing each team at least one offensive possession in overtime.