NFL Makes it Illegal to Touch QBs

For the past few years, the NFL has been agressively revising the rules when it comes to hitting the QB. New rules have been installed yearly to prevent serious injuries to the signal-callers around the league, each year more stringent than the last. This season, for example, when a pass-rusher reaches the QB, he must stop, stand up straight and tap the QB on the shoulder then politely ask him to lay down - ask impolitely? that'll cost you 15 yards.

In the most recent seasons the NFL has outlawed hitting the QB anywhere on the head, no matter how lightly, disallowed any hits below the waist to prevent knee injuries, and forbidden "vicious" tackles or "throwing the QB to the ground", among other things. In the 2010 season, the NFL just annouced that Quarterbacks will wear a set of flags, two in the front and two in the back, hanging from waist level. In order for the QB to be considered "down", the defense must succesfully grab and detach one or the QB flags.

This novel idea for the use of QB flags was thought up by Chad Pennington who was tired of being unathletic, and therefore sacked a lot. Chad started at QB for the Jets and recently the Dolphins, but has a tendancy to get injured every other season and knew there must be some better way. "If I could not get hit, that'd be great. I could play a much longer time and even complete a full season. That is unless I trip over myself or something..."