NFL legend Lawrence Taylor was among the hardest hitters to ever to play the sport.
Taylor, 66, recalled a moment from his playing career against Joe Montana, where, after getting duped by the legendary quarterback, he issued the four-time Super Bowl champion a stern warning.
“I remember playing Joe Montana, and I was chasing him down, he came out, he chased out, he’s running to the out of bounds. And just before he stepped out of bounds, I just let up, you know. That son of a – he took that ball and ran down another 15 yards, right?” Taylor said during an appearance on OutKick’s “The Ricky Cobb Show.”
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Former linebacker Lawrence Taylor is seen during the Legends NFL Party. (Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
“And I went over to him, and I said, ‘Listen, hey, let me tell you something. If you ever do that again, I will light you up.’ And he apologized, and he said, ‘Man, I understand.’”
Montana would’ve been smart to listen to Taylor’s warning, whom some consider to be the greatest defensive player of all time.
Taylor then brought up Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes and sympathized with defenders for having to adhere to the rules while trying to slow down running quarterbacks in today’s NFL.
“Nowadays, you can’t even touch them when they hit the ground. But then what happens when you’re playing a guy like Mahomes, who does his fake going to go down, and then he takes and runs off. I mean, what happens? Let’s get some fairness in this,” Taylor said.
If Taylor were still playing, he would be certain to issue Mahomes a similar warning he did to Montana.
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Former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor on the field before the game between the Giants and the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium. (Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images)
Taylor is not the only prominent football figure to question the rules surrounding quarterbacks who scramble. Tom Brady shared a similar sentiment to Taylor during an appearance on FOX Sports’ “The Herd” in January.
“When quarterbacks become running backs, and they’re out of the pocket, they should lose their protection,” Brady said.
“We’re trying to protect the quarterbacks, but coaches are calling more quarterback runs than ever in the history of the game. So, who is protecting the quarterback? We’re trying to say the referees should do it?”
There were two calls that Mahomes was the beneficiary of in the Chiefs win over the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional round that sparked debate.
Texans’ star defensive end Will Anderson Jr. was flagged for a roughing-the-passer penalty for hitting Mahomes up toward the head area while throwing a pass, but what Brady seems to be alluding to is the penalty Mahomes received in the third quarter.
Mahomes was scrambling in the third quarter, and as he slid, he was hit by two Texans defenders near the head area as he was going down.
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Texans linebacker Henry To’oTo’o was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the play.
The Kansas City Chiefs will take on the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET on FOX, where the officiating will be closely monitored, especially on plays involving Mahomes.
FOX’s Super Bowl coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET Sunday. Coverage can be streamed live on Tubi for the first time.
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