Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who has shown from time to time a willingness to drop his helmet and obliterate a would-be tackler, realizes that the new rule regarding the use of the crown of the helmet encompasses his playing style.
And so he doesn’t like it. But he also realizes (reluctantly) that it’s a good thing.
“Sooner or later we’re going to be playing touch football,” Peterson told KFAN, before changing his tune. “That’s just the passion in me that said that and then the maturity in me said, you know what, it’s an OK rule because it protects players.”
Still, Peterson thinks that the new rule provides more protection for defensive players.
“The one thing I do not like about the rule is they single it out towards running backs,” Peterson said. “From my point of view, when you’re looking at the defense and there’s eleven guys coming at you. There’s so many times that guys have came at me and lowered their helmet not with their face mask facing me. They just lowered their helmet and came in and dived at me, my legs and my knees.”
Under the new rule, any defensive player that uses the top of his helmet against Peterson will be flagged, too. Maybe once it happens a few times, Peterson and other offensive players will believe it.
