HOUSTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 01: Former Houston Texans player J.J. Watt speaks during a ceremony inducting him into the Texans Ring of Honor during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at NRG Stadium on October 01, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)

Former Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals star defensive end J.J. Watt proposed a fascinating rule change idea for the offensive holding infraction.

One of the biggest complaints about NFL officiating throughout the season was the alarming amount of missed offensive holding calls.

 

The Dallas Cowboys sent the league information outlining the many missed offensive holding calls against Micah Parsons. Also, Kansas City Chiefs running back Jerick McKinnon got away with a clear hold on San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner during the game-winning drive in Super Bowl 58.

Speaking on “The Pat McAfee Show” (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk), Watt suggested the idea of reducing offensive holding penalties from 10 to five yards. This way, officials may feel inclined to call it more frequently:

“I think the refs understand that a 10-yard penalty is a massive penalty in the NFL. So I think if you made [it] a 5-yard penalty, I think it’s going to be called much more fairly and much more realistically. Because it’s not as crippling to the offense.”

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This is a very logical proposal on Watt’s end. The only problem? History shows the NFL won’t make any adjustments to its rule book, nor will they do anything to help enhance the quality of officiating.