The NFL has announced that it will be looking into the hit Seattle Seahawks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney laid on Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz. It appears head coach Doug Pederson does not feel there is much to look into.
The hit on Wentz had a severe impact on the Eagles' chances of keeping their championship hopes alive. Regardless, Pederson acknowledged that Pederson had been considered a runner at the time Clowney got to him, via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk.
“I do. Listen, all mobile quarterbacks, they become runners at some point. That’s just kind of the give-and-take with these guys,” Pederson said. “We’ve encouraged Carson to use his legs when he can, and at that particular time, it was a broken play and he was making a play. It was unfortunate, the hit, but I do think that once they become runners, it becomes different. That’s just the way the league is.”
Pederson's comments are certainly intriguing considering both Clowney and the officials have received plenty of flak for their roles in how it went down. Not only was Wentz knocked out of the game after being hit in the back of the head, but the referees failed to penalize him for it.
Regardless, it seems Pederson is not going to let his own bias determine what he feels is a natural part of the game. Mobile quarterbacks such as Wentz are often prone to more devastating hits due to their reputations for running the ball. Whether or not some think it is justified, Pederson does not expect there to be any further repercussions until there is more clarity to these types of hits.
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