Antonio Pierce made waves around the league last week when he talked about implementing “The Jordan Rules” on Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Pierce said his message to the team before playing the Chiefs this year was to be physical with Mahomes and make sure the league’s most dynamic quarterback knew the Raiders were coming after him mentally, physically and emotionally.
“We’ve got the Jordan Rules and what I’m calling now as long as I’m here, the Patrick Mahomes Rules,” Pierce said on Maxx Crosby’s The Rush Podcast. “You remember when Jordan was going through it with the Pistons, all those guys in the 80’s before he became Michael ‘Air Jordan’, the Pistons used to whip his a–. Any time he came to the hole: elbows, feeling him, love taps. We touched him. We’re in his head, mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually. So, I showed those guys Jordan getting his a– whooped.”
Predictably, the message from Pierce wasn’t well received by everyone in the NFL community and ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio was one of the first to draw negative attention to the soundbite.
Florio compared Pierce’s remarks to the ‘Bountygate’ situation in New Orleans and said he reached out to the league for comment. The NFL, he said, would not comment on the situation.
After Florio, another ‘Mike’ jumped into the conversation and took an even more aggressive stance on Pierce’s comments.
From ESPN’s Mike Greenberg…
“I’m going to tell you right now; I don’t like it. I don’t like hearing it and if I’m the league, I’m doing something about it, and I’ll tell you why. Protecting the quarterbacks is the most important thing the NFL can do. Patrick Mahomes is the most important player in football. He’s as important a player that football has had in a long time. He is right there with [Tom] Brady and Peyton Manning and Brett Favre as a draw. There is no bigger draw right now in the sport than Patrick Mahomes. Maybe Taylor Swift is the only bigger draw than Mahomes is.
You cannot have coaches preaching hurting him, and I understand that he’s not going to go so far as to say ‘hurt him,’ but I’m telling you right now if I’m Roger Goodell, I’m calling Antonio Pierce. I don’t mean to be a ‘Fuddy Duddy’ on this, but I’m going to say ‘Listen, I’m going to instruct my officials to be keeping a close eye on Patrick in your games because of what you said, and if I see anything I don’t like, we’re throwing flags on every freaking play. You want 15 yards on every play? I’ll give you 15 yards on every play. You’re going to knock out our money maker, mine and yours. I’m not interested in it.”
Ultimately, Pierce never said he was coaching the team to hurt Mahomes, and the Raiders didn’t play dirty in either of their meetings with the Chiefs this season.
From a disciplinary standpoint, Pierce didn’t cross any lines and the league is obviously aware of that. To call for closer officiating in those games would be ridiculous as Mahomes is already the most referee-coddled quarterback in the league.
Looking ahead, Pierce probably gave the Chiefs a little more to play for against the Raiders next year… and there’s a good chance he is fine with that.
As the late Al Davis once said…
“The other team’s quarterback must go down, and he must go down hard.”
twitter: @raidersbeat
Poor baby mahomes the raiders know how to play against the chiefs if they don’t like to bad the raiders play football the way it is supposed to played if the chiefs don’t like it don’t play mahomes cause the raiders got something for mahomes lol 😴
Florio is a t00l, The other guy too. Mahomes is not that great. He is not Stabler. IN fact if he was a Raider, the way the league applies the rules to us, he would barely be in the conversation. He’s the new Golden Boy of the NFL. He sure looked bad on Xmas day. Next season the Raiders may just sweep the Chiefs is that game is an indication of what is to come.
I think these two clowns have never played football in their lives. Grow up and understand that football is a physical sport, one of the most violent team sports they have. It is not for everyone and the more you try and soften it the less it becomes the sport we have always loved. People are going to get hurt, some seriously, but that is part of the game. These players get paid outrageous sums of money for those risks.
The NFL maybe trying to protect QBs and other players, but us fans dont go to games to watch these flags coming out non stop because a QB received a hit from a player already committed and in process of finishing his hit on QB. This isnt flag football, but since flag football is good for the all-star game, NFL wants females to become part of what always is and should be a man’s sport, maybe they should consider transforming it to a flag football league (lmao.)
Why dont someone think about it. Maybe a good step would be for coaches to start coaching and teaching these players how to tackle. Too many players lack fundamental tackling skills and instead launch their bodies at the man with the ball hoping they hit them hard enough to go down (thinking it unmanly to tackle someone at their legs) and in doing so actually place all involved at more risk of injury. This would probably help towards limiting injuries thus protecting players. If you attempt to remove physicality from the sport then you ruin and change it from being the sport that peoplr love – watering down the game too much will ultimately strip it of its attractiveness.
Mahomes cries enough as it is so putting him in a dress or skirt is the next thing I wanna see (lil b***h.) We do not need more females in the sport and sure dont need any at QB so just allow the one we have in Kansas City (lol.)
I cannot imagine how all the players before now who did not make the ridiculous kind of money and did not complain about getting hit or having sprained ankles or broken bones still playing week after week feel about how stupid this sport is becoming. The old gladiators who fought in coliseum long ago and fought to the death did so under the same guise as football – SPORT.
p.s. It is us fans that make this sport function not the writers, not the commissioner, THE FANS. Without us there is no sport. When writing about things like this Mr. Florio and Mr. Greenberg try asking us Fans what we want not telling us what your unwanted opinion is. You sirs are irrelevant.
I cant stand Mike Greenburg and the rest of those writers who look for ways to take make word play sound soo bad. He is so right. When, they started giving Labron, Jordan, Kobe and others those touch fouls….. They started winning. Its for the entertainment of the game. Now if you breathe on the QB its 15 yards. While other QB gets lit up and the play goes on.
NOBODY is above the rules! Except Mahomes…..
For dogone sakes. Mike Greenberg is an idiot. This is football and these guys are not wearing skirts. If Roger Goodell would keep an eye on the Raiders, then he has to put a stop on Mahomes and Kelce hotdoging all the time, When I played, anyone on the opposing team tried to hotdog, they would get a forearm shiver right in the mouth,
I hate Mahomes with a 🔥 firey passion. I don’t like anyone who supports them. A real raiders fan woild never root or support the chiefs.
F Mike Greenberg. Mahomes isn’t the most important player in the league. He’s the most protected though. Its like the league is saying it’s illegal to hit mahomes.
Please Greenwell, the NFL has already “protected” the QB position (especially Mahommes) to the point of ridiculousness. You can even breathe on the Dude!! Facts.
The Raiders kicked his butt up and down the field the last time they played them and then he threw a tantrum.
The refs seem to miss 90% of the holding calls on the Chiefs no matter who they play. The Chiefs played like crap for most of the season and showed numerous times they are completely beatable.
Dynasty?!? Nope.
AP and the Raiders are gonna curb stomped even worse next season. Book it.
Mike Greenberg and and all of those writers and criticis are a bunch of Fancy Nancies. If the team in witch the Raiders are playing, like the Chiefs don’t like it? Have them go after ours too. Simple.
Well if u asking me I just think everyone just hate on the chiefs and yes football is not to hurt anyone its just a sport but not to get real physically with the team.
That’s the way the raiders always play. They play dirty because they aren’t good enough to win. I guess if I lost every game, I would be upset also. Sore losers. Coach is a loser,AL Davis is a loser. Needs to put his hair peice on straight. Just remember the chiefs were the first one to win a superbowl in their new house. That will never change. History, that’s got to hurt. Losers.