Marshall Faulk: Remove Helmets

Jan 26, 2013, Honolulu, HI, USA; Pro Football Hall of Fame running backs Eric Dickerson (left) and Marshall Faulk at the 2013 Pro Bowl All-Star Block Party on Kalakaua Ave. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL has proposed a rule change for next season that won’t allow runners to lower their heads when initiating contact with a defender. This potential rule change has received a lot of negative reactions on social media and now one of the greatest running backs of all time, Marshall Faulk, is speaking out.

“This is a joke,” Faulk said on NFL Network, via PFT. “If you’re a ball carrier and you’re trying to protect yourself, you’re going to duck. . . . I understand they want safety and I’m all for safety within the game. But it can’t just be some old guys in the room who didn’t carry a football making rules that are really going to affect how this game is being played. I just don’t understand.”

The thought behind the rule change is that helmets are being used as weapons. They’ve cracked down on helmet to helmet hits in the past few years, especially on quarterbacks and defenseless receivers. So why not just eliminate helmets if they are the problem.

“Take the helmets off. Let’s be honest, if you think the helmet is a weapon, take it off. Because I know the helmet on my head is not being used to head butt anyone, it’s being used to protect myself,” Faulk said.

The NFL’s owners are expected to vote either today or tomorrow to approve the Competition Committee’s proposed rule change.