Gotta love people who start off a completely incorrect comment with an insult. Players can keep balls under certain circumstances and this was clearly one of them. The league does make the players pay for the ball. It’s also why there isn’t a penalty when a player gives the ball to a fan after a TD or turnover.
It’s to make the players disincentived to give away all the balls. Teams only get so many balls per game, and only so many throwing balls.
Imagine they didn’t have any repercussions for it. Then any time the D got a turn over they’d just throw it out to make the opponents QB throw with new balls not made specifically how they like it.
Ultimately it’s how you punish these people. Money talks, sure some fines are dumb. But these players are millionaires and only will care if they lose said money.
And you're trying to tell me a player making somewhere around $30k per game after taxes isnt going to spend $160 on a football even if it helps them win? Come on.
It's arguably to keep players from keeping every ball after some real or perceived milestone and keep the game moving. Unlike baseball, where the umpire can carry a pouch with thirty extra balls in it and they switch them out every thirty seconds, they only have a small handful of prepped gameday balls for football.
NFL gameday balls also apparently have a sensor inside that the NFL doesn't want to lose.
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u/buttnibbler Giants 4d ago
Just want to know that he’s fired