Players and fans aren't the only ones unhappy with the implementation of the NFL's catch rule.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is pushing for clarity on the rule, telling The Herd with Colin Cowherd on Monday "fans want catches."
The catch rule has come under intense scrutiny in recent years despite tweaks over time. The latest outcry came at the end of this season's New England Patriots-Pittsburgh Steelers game on Dec. 17. Steelers tight end Jesse James appeared to have caught a go-ahead touchdown in the seconds of the fourth quarter, but on review it was ruled he did not maintain control of the football while hitting the ground at the goal line.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin later said the catch rule "needs to be revisited."
Goodell told Cowherd he convened a meeting with five Hall of Fame receivers and a handful of coaches to talk about the rule earlier this month.
"You want there to be clarity from an officiating standpoint and a coaching and player standpoint," Goodell said. "... I think here you might have clarity in a large element of it, but what happens is that it's not the rule that people really want."
While Goodell would not reveal exactly how the rule might be changed, he did say the competition committee would keep in mind that "fans want catches." The group will convene a couple of times during the next two months, and a possible change could be presented to owners as early as March.
"I hope we'll be able to address this in a way that will bring more clarity and frankly more excitement to this," Goodell said.
