Falcons Ex Calvin Ridley Jumps On New NFL Rule Changes
Several rule changes will be enacted for the 2023 NFL season, one of which has left players pleased, and others which have not.
Good news first ...
The number “0” is now eligible to be used on jerseys, a change proposed by the Philadelphia Eagles. You won’t see it on linemen on either side of the ball but all other players can adorn the number.
Many NFL players are excited about the new number. Former Atlanta Falcons wideout Calvin Ridley has already announced he will be sporting the new number for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Ridley wore No. 18 for the Falcons. New England Patriots cornerback Jack Jones changed his Twitter name to “0” and dubbed himself an “Agent Zero” in his bio.
Kickers and punters are also now allowed to use any jersey number between 0-49 and 90-99.
There's another uniform change for practice, but this is less about style and more about safety.
The guardian caps that were worn during NFL training camps last season will now be required for every preseason practice, regular season and postseason practice with contact. Linemen, linebackers, running backs and fullbacks are the players required to wear the caps.
Proposed by the competition committee, the NFL has clarified use of the helmet against an opponent by removing the “butt, ram, spear” language. New language expands the rule against using the helmet as a weapon, making it a foul if a player uses "any part of his helmet or facemask to butt or make forcible contact to an opponent's head or neck area."
A 15-yard penalty will continue to be called if a player lowers his head and makes forcible contact with his helmet against an opponent. The league expects most of the penalties will be called on players in space. The rule also includes an exception for "incidental contact by the mask or the helmet in the course of a conventional tackle or block on an opponent."
Now, onto some bad news, for the players at least ...
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is not a fan of the NFL's new Thursday Night Football rule change, which allows teams to play on Thursday twice per season. The reigning Super Bowl champions are the favorites to win the Super Bowl again and will likely be featured in many prime-time games.
Teams were previously limited to one appearance on TNF. It is a hot topic in the league because of the abbreviated recovery time for players between games.
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