In recent years, the NFL has implemented rules designed to protect players from dangerous hits to the head. After all, player safety has to be a priority given everything we know about the longterm effects of concussions.
But sometimes, it certainly seems like that emphasis on protecting players is only given to quarterbacks. Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster would have a reason to feel that way.
During Sunday’s Week 10 game between the Chiefs and Jaguars, Smith-Schuster took a hard hit to the helmet from Andre Cisco and went down with a fencing response often seen as a result of head trauma. The officials initially threw a flag on the helmet-to-helmet hit, but after discussion, referee Brad Rogers decided to pick up the flag.
refs picked up the flag on this one but i dunno, that looks like helmet-to-helmet and a defenseless receiver to me pic.twitter.com/jHpfVq79cn
— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) November 13, 2022
Every replay seemingly showed that it was a clear hit to the head of a defenseless receiver, so the decision to pick up the penalty was borderline abhorrent. When you watch the play in full speed, the no-call looks even worse. Smith-Schuster had no time to defend himself, and the NFL is trying to eliminate that exact kind of hit from the game.
Looks like JuJu Smith-Schuster got knocked out.pic.twitter.com/3ycHIBOrlc
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 13, 2022
No wonder fans were furious that this officiating crew thought it was a legal play.
This was how Twitter reacted
At some point, refs need to be held accountable. THATS A MF FLAG
— Brittany Mahomes (@BrittanyLynne) November 13, 2022
Obvious helmet-to-helmet contact. Refs pick up the flag. https://t.co/L5V8SpZzcW
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) November 13, 2022
I can’t believe the refs really picked up that flag. What a joke.
— Mark Gunnels (@MarkAGunnels) November 13, 2022
And they picked the flag.. what a joke https://t.co/6Noroj5hz2
— Lavon (@biigshegz) November 13, 2022
Refs picking up a flag for unnecessary roughness on that hit says everything you need to know about what the nfl thinks of player safety
— Blake McFarland (@theblakemc) November 13, 2022
Picked up the flag?! The NFL refs are a joke.
— Samir Vogan سمير (@SamirVoganNY) November 13, 2022
Juju had just taken a huge hit to the head and is down, it looks bad.
Refs have picked up the flag unbelievably, shocking for a league that wants to protect its players 😡
— Arrowheads Abroad (@KCChiefs_UK) November 13, 2022
Just saw the most obvious head to head penalty in my life and the refs somehow picked up the flag
— 🎅🏻 (@DeOneAndShawnly) November 13, 2022
The refs picking that flag up is the literal textbook definition of adding insult to injury.
— Tommy Castor (@TweetsFromTommy) November 13, 2022
The crew really needs to be held accountable for that kind of mistake. You can’t prioritize player safety and simultaneously allow those hits to happen without a penalty.
