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josh weinfuss
Tempe, Arizona — Arizona Cardinals Coach Jonathan Gannon shares his displeasure with how he feels the NFL’s collective bargaining rules prevent defensive players from becoming better tacklers.
Several missed tackles played a factor in Sunday’s 40-20 loss houston texansGannon was asked Wednesday how Arizona practices tackling during the week. He responded that it was a topic the Cardinals’ coaching staff was discussing this week.
“With how the rules are set up, it’s hard to get better as a tackler while being in the NFL, that’s what I’ll say,” Gannon said.
Although data is not corrected on missed tackles, the Cardinals have allowed 40 rushes with at least 5 yards after first contact, the third-most rushes in the NFL. According to ESPN Research, Arizona ranks 18th in yards allowed after contact per rush this season.
Gannon said the Cardinals “practice tackling in some way, shape or form because it is one of the top skills of any defensive player.” However, he added that “there are no exercises you can do that can mimic a game.”
Per the NFL’s 2020 collective bargaining agreement, teams are only allowed 14 padded practices, but must do 11 of them during the first 11 weeks of the season. Contact is prohibited during the offseason, including OTAs and minicamp.
Asked if he would like to see the rules changed, Gannon said he would not advocate for changes.
“Rules are rules,” he said.
However, lack of opportunities to tackle in practice limits skill development. Gannon compared the NFL’s rules to those on the PGA Tour, telling Scotty Scheffler that he can’t hit wedges during the offseason.
“The way it’s set up, it’s fine,” Gannon said. “But to get better at a skill, you have to practice the skill. You practice the skill, you can measure it, you can increase speed, you can measure how you do it, but to practice a skill, you need to practice the skill.
“And so I think that’s a conundrum that all defensive guys face and there’s a risk-reward in trying to practice with it, no matter how you structure things. But you definitely have to be a good tackling defense to play good defense.”
When it was brought up that the lack of opportunities to practice tackling was a result of rule changes, Gannon laughed. He said it is a topic that is discussed every year by head coaches and defensive coaches, and it influences some teams’ personnel decisions.
“Many people think [that if] “You can’t practice it, you better get guys involved who can tackle because you’re not going to help them at all,” Gannon said. “It’s also a thought process. To each his own. But it’s a challenge.”
