In response to Kyle Van Noy asking fans to name one NFL rule they would change and explain why, a former New Orleans Saints defensive end took the opportunity to push for a major rule change while criticizing the league’s strict quarterback protection rules, and it seems like the Baltimore Ravens‘ edge rusher fully agrees with him.
“Make hitting QBs legal again. No more, this is the way to hit someone who never gets hit but one day out of the week,” Cam Jordan replied to Kyle Van Noy’s question on X.
Van Noy appeared to agree with the sentiment, replying to Jordan, “Facts!! Fine system is getting wild!”
The financial side of the rule has also frustrated Van Noy. During Baltimore’s 41-17 Week 2 win at M&T Bank Stadium, Van Noy was fined $17,389 for landing with his “body weight” on Joe Flacco during the Ravens’ game against the Cleveland Browns. Van Noy also wants the NFL to change the intentional grounding rule. The veteran edge rusher believes defenders should be credited with a sack when quarterbacks throw the ball away under pressure, saying those lost sacks can affect players financially.
Together, Jordan and Van Noy have combined for 1,324 tackles during their NFL careers. Jordan alone has recorded 763 tackles, while Van Noy has added 561. Both Jordan and Van Noy have publicly voiced their frustrations regarding quarterback protection and defensive rules on multiple specific occasions throughout their long careers.
Make hitting qb’s legal again. No more, this is the way to hit someone who never gets hit, but one day out of the week. https://t.co/QTO9BiKxzR
— Cam Jordan (@camjordan94) May 13, 2026
After the Saints were flagged for two highly controversial roughing-the-passer penalties against Sam Darnold in 2021, Jordan didn’t hold back. He told The Score that quarterbacks wear noncontact red jerseys all week in practice, and the league is practically making them wear them during real games too. He jokingly said, “We might as well just attach a flag to their hips and go off that.”
More recently, in January, Van Noy took to X to complain that modern rules protect a quarterback’s statistics and wallet at the expense of defensive players. He put up the argument that if a defender’s pressure forces a quarterback to intentionally throw the ball away to avoid a hit, it should be counted as a sack for that defender. He noted the current rule “takes away money from a defender.”
The NFL has added stricter rules to protect quarterbacks from injuries. Defenders can get penalized for late hits, helmet-to-helmet contact, or landing with full body weight on the quarterback, with roughing-the-passer calls resulting in a 15-yard penalty and automatic first down.
In March 2024, the NFL approved the ban of the hip-drop tackle technique as part of the league’s ongoing efforts to promote safety among its players. However, most defenders argue that there is a growing imbalance between the offense and defense rules.
This is far from the first time Jordan has publicly criticized the league’s approach. Back in 2022, controversial roughing-the-passer calls during Week 5, including one involving Tom Brady, sparked widespread backlash. That time, Jordan, who was playing for the Saints back then, sarcastically joked about how defenders are expected to bring quarterbacks to the ground safely.
“I’ll bring a blanket with me … and I’ll be able to place it before I put him on the ground ever so gently to caress and sing him a lullaby,” Jordan said at the time. “I don’t know. We’ll have to deal with it just like we’ve dealt with it the last couple of years.”
Bobby Wagner also summed up the frustration while speaking to ESPN in February this year.
“They make it really hard for a defensive player,” Wagner said. “There are certain things you can’t do in midair. I’ve seen some superheroes do it, but this is not the comics.”
Years later, Jordan’s latest comments suggest his stance has not changed much. However, it’s not just defensive players who feel this way. Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco has also shared similar thoughts in the past.
Joe Flacco Opens Up About NFL’s Strict QB Hit Rules
Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco has also openly questioned some of the NFL’s quarterback protection rules over the years. Quarterback safety remains the focus of the league after the serious injuries sustained by top players such as Carson Palmer in 2005 and Tom Brady in 2008.
But even Flacco believes some of today’s roughing-the-passer penalties go too far.
“I still have that mindset. I don’t think it should be roughing the passer when they land on us,” Flacco told Kevin Clark on the This Is Football podcast in February 2025. “I don’t think being slapped in the head should be roughing the passer. It honestly annoys me because it affects games in a negative way at random times. And they can call it or not call it. It needs to get out of the game.”
Flacco has had similar views before, stating that the NFL has made rules regarding hitting quarterbacks too soft, something former Ravens teammate Terrell Suggs also agrees with.
“Listen, this is football, man. We all sign up to get hit. We all sign up [knowing] you might get hurt,” Flacco said in 2018. “It’s a violent sport. It’s meant to be that way.”
Flacco has been very vocal over the years, suggesting that the physical nature of the sport contributes greatly to its appeal among fans. In the last season, there were 91 roughing the passer penalties, totaling 1,236 yards. Despite the low figures, people in the NFL believe that these calls happen at critical times during the game, changing the outcome.
