Quarterback slides could lead to expanded replay assist

It seems that even the NFL might be getting tired of the controversy surrounding late hits on quarterback slides.

According to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter on Saturday, the NFL is expected to expand its replay assist usage in the offseason, and that it could extend to getting help on calls regarding late hits on sliding quarterbacks.

The league has come under fire this season for borderline calls on quarterbacks that slide late on their runs, with last Saturday's AFC divisional game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans providing the most fodder for the discussion.

The Texans were penalized twice for hits on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes that angered fans and ESPN announcer Troy Aikman. The most egregious of those calls came when Mahomes was scrambling, did not initially slide and then took a last-second drop to the ground as two Texans defenders converged on him. Both defenders made minimal contact with Mahomes and mostly collided with themselves.

The Texans were penalized on a play that helped keep a Chiefs drive alive.

As the call was being made by the official, Aikman ranted about how the league had to do something about the rule and those calls. 

Over the past couple of years, replay assist has been used to correct clear and obvious mistakes, such as spotting the ball and whether or not a play is a catch. This season it was added for elements that included a penalty flag being thrown on the play, including hits out of bounds, hits to the head and elements of intentional grounding. 

On one hand, there should be a concern about adding even more replay into the league when it already extends game times and does not always get things right. Not everything needs to be up for review. Especially things that are subjective. But the NFL also has to do something about some of the calls that are impacting games and the benefits quarterbacks keep getting.

It is understandable why the NFL wants to protect quarterbacks. They are the stars of the league, the highest-paid players, the biggest money-makers, and the players that most impact the game and the league as a whole. But they should not be given unfair advantages that it make impossible to tackle and defend them. That has started to happen with the way they are treated on slides and some late-hit calls.