Tom Brady's 2008 Knee Injury Is Why NFL Defenders Can No Longer Lunge At A Passer's Legs
A defender on the ground lunged at Tom Brady's knee in the 2008 opener. Starting in 2009, NFL officials flagged that play, and today's rulebook bars forcible hits on a passer at the knee or below.
On September 7, 2008, in the first week of the season, Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard was knocked to the ground while rushing Tom Brady. He lunged at Brady's legs from the ground. Brady tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee and missed the rest of the season.
What changed in 2009
At the 2009 league meeting, NFL.com reported that defenders who are knocked to the ground could no longer lunge into quarterbacks while the play is still going. It described this as an officiating adjustment that did not need an owners vote.
The rule today
A rushing defender is prohibited from forcibly hitting in the knee area or below a passer who has one or both feet on the ground.
- 01A defender may not roll or lunge into the passer's knee area or below, even while being blocked
- 02It is not a foul if he is blocked into the passer and has no chance to avoid him
- 03Swiping or grabbing at the legs to make a tackle is legal, without forcible helmet, shoulder, chest or forearm contact
Quick answers
- What is the Brady rule?
- The informal name for the NFL's protection against defenders lunging at a quarterback's knees, which officials began enforcing in 2009 after Bernard Pollard's hit injured Tom Brady.
- Can a defender tackle a quarterback low?
- He may swipe or grab the passer's legs to tackle him, but he may not forcibly hit him in the knee area or below with the helmet, shoulder, chest or forearm.
- What is the penalty?
- Roughing the passer: 15 yards and an automatic first down, and disqualification if flagrant.
Sources
- 2026 Official Playing Rules of the National Football League
- NFL.com, Owners pass four rules in an attempt to make the game safer
- Wikipedia, Bernard Pollard
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