Many NFL legends believe the game has been watered down to protect QBs and reduce the risk of injuries. One of those legends is former Baltimore Raven, Ray Lewis, who was known for his aggressive, physical style of play. He recently went on a tirade about helmet-to-helmet hits, arguing that they shouldn’t be considered dirty and that they’re often unavoidable in the heat of the moment.
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Helmet-to-helmet hits have always been a point of contention for players and fans around the NFL. On one hand, they produce incredible highlights of jaw-dropping tackles that get replayed for years. On the other hand, they can cause serious brain damage and lead to CTE. Because of these factors, many disagree on how helmet-to-helmet contact should be judged.
According to Hall of Famer Ray Lewis, however, helmet-to-helmet contact can’t and shouldn’t be controlled. “You don’t control the missile, you launch it!” Lewis said on the PBD Podcast.
The response left the show’s host looking somewhat stunned. Clearly, he couldn’t believe how open and honest Lewis was being about the topic. But it made sense, given how much he loved to lay the boom when he played.
The former linebacker tried to defend his opinion shortly after the hot take.
“You can’t control [helmet-to-helmet hits]. You can’t tell a man in the middle of the action, ‘Guess what I’m going to do? I’m going to make the biggest play of the game, but I’m going to turn my head to the left, make sure my body does not fall on his body.’ No way. You don’t think like that,” Lewis said.
Over the years, it has become quite difficult to know how to tackle a player correctly, especially the QB. Roughing the passer can be called on defenders for hitting a QB low, high, or for landing on them with their full body weight. This includes anything from slapping a QB with an open palm on the helmet to accidentally falling into their legs.
Furthermore, defenders aren’t allowed to hit defenseless receivers too high or, at times, with too much force. Not to mention a new rule started being enforced last season on players for doing a “hip drop” tackle, although that one hasn’t been called very often.
Now, consider how different the rules were for Lewis when he talked about how he used to approach his weekly games: “I see a running back, I don’t see him. I want his soul… So, when I go through him, I’m trying to make an impression that he will talk about me every Thanksgiving for the rest of his life.”
Nevertheless, one of the craziest parts of Lewis’s clip was the fact that Tom Brady commented on it and agreed with the former LB’s sentiment.
“Ray played the game the way it’s suppose to be played! Fast physical and aggressive! He’s right!!” Brady wrote.
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Lewis’s comments were ominous and definitely ring true. Players like Ahmard Hall, Dustin Keller, and Chad Johnson are just a few of the victims on Lewis’ highlight reel of massive hits. Even Johnson still talks about how he once tried to block the linebacker but ended up receiving medical attention for himself.
It’s hard to deny that Lewis played the game the right way. He used his strength to impose his will on opposing teams, sometimes scaring them straight-up. Because of this, players hardly ever went at him one-on-one.
That said, while helmet-to-helmet contact may not be dirty to everyone, it has certainly caused long-term health issues for players. Lewis may not be fully aware of this, as he was usually the one punishing the opposition. Yet, there are many examples showing that hits with the helmet can lead to CTE.
So, while it may be frustrating for older players who used to play, the NFL will and should continue to find ways to reduce hits to the head.
