© Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
SANTA CLARA — In the 17 minutes he spoke with reporters Wednesday, one day before 49ers’ training camp begins, Richard Sherman showed the candor, humor, and enlightenment on issues permeating the NFL that make him so unique.
He responded to questions about his recovery from the Achilles rupture he suffered last November. He spoke about his newfound leadership role with the 49ers and recent conversations with Jimmy Garoppolo and Reuben Foster, two marquee 49ers who had noteworthy offseasons for different reasons.
His most extensive answers came in response to questions concerning the recently modified helmet-to-helmet rule. In late March, at the annual NFL owners meetings, the league ratified that officials will be allowed to use instant replay to review whether a tackler lowered his head for a helmet-to-helmet hit. If he did, there will be a 15-yard penalty assessed with a possible ejection. This adds to the already-implemented defenseless player rule.
Sherman feels the nuances and jargon laced in these rules make them unclear.
“We haven’t gotten much clarity,” Sherman said. “You just hope it’s not called as frequently because they are going to call it on every single offensive and defensive lineman. The game is going to be played at a snail’s pace if they call it that way. A lot of times, they say they are including former players when they make rules like this, but it doesn’t seem like it. It seems like they are neglecting the impact it is going to have on the game, and I don’t think they fully understand the scope and how huge it will be.”
The rule changes come amid the growing confluence of CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) with football. Last July, the New York Times dropped a bomb when it reported that a neuropathologist studied 111 brains of former NFL players, and 110 had CTE. Last month, the parents of former Washington State Tyler Hilinski, who committed suicide earlier this year, said their son had CTE. There are current efforts being made to detect whether current players have CTE.
The NFL has tried to strike the balance of maintaining the game while making it safer. It’s an ongoing issue that will inevitably be met with backlash from both sides of the spectrum.
It’s clear where Sherman stands.
“(Does the new rule) really make the game much safer?” Sherman said. “Guys (are) running full speed and colliding. At the end of the day, there is not much you can do to make that safer. If you take the helmets off and the pads, and you put flags on, it will be flag football, and less people will watch it, but it will be safe.”
The three-time All-Pro cornerback said there are unavoidable plays that involve the helmet. Even if you aren’t leading with your helmet’s crown during a tackle, the downward motion of tackling typically involves the head. For offensive lineman, starting with a three-point stance and lifting into an oncoming rusher naturally involves the helmet.
“This is one of those things where you are really going to be changing the sport,” offensive tackle Joe Staley said.
Sherman said players and fans understand there are inherent risks with football. He fears that changing the fundamental rules of football could alter the game, which encompasses many valuable life lessons he has learned through playing.
“(The NFL) is trying to overcompensate for public opinion of their sport because they are thinking, ‘Nobody is going to play our game,’” Sherman said. “There are always going to be players to play this game. This is a game that kids love, that teaches you a lot of the lessons you need as a human being: how to combat adversity, how to be a teammate, how to be accountable, how to follow directions, how to do your job, how to not be too down when your team is down, how to pick somebody up, how to not be down after you lost. Them making this helmet rule and continuing to be overbearing in the game is going to make it more difficult to officiate. I feel sorry for the officials.”