‘Stick to the Draft!’ ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. Slammed for ‘Ridiculous’ Proposal for a New NFL Rule

ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. faced the fury of just about the entire NFL community when he suggested the league ban an effective defensive scheme.

Through the first two weeks of the 2024 NFL seasons, offensive production is down to levels not seen in over a decade. Many analyst have attributed that to defenses frequently using two-high safety looks. This defensive scheme, as the name implies, keeps two safeties down the field to prevent deep throws. In theory, keeping two safeties deep will limit offenses to either running the ball or throwing short-to-intermediate passes.

Because of the lack of offensive production, Kiper on Thursday called for the league to ban the defense outright.

“I was in games where I’m thinking, ‘Hey, too high? They’re out in outer space!’ Kiper said on Get Up. “I couldn’t even find [them]; so they’re playing with nine guys. Where are the other two? Oh, the other two, they’re so dang-gone far back I didn’t even know they’re part of damn play!

“I’m telling you, we gotta change this thing and we gotta have — hey, you can warn. ‘Hey, guys, you gotta get up a little bit. You’re too far back.’ Warn those safeties; but you gotta figure out — competition committee, somebody, [Dan Orlovsky] — somebody’s gotta figure out what that depth is. But it’s too far back right now. The NFL is being ruined by these two high safeties.”

Many in the sports community, including former players and his own ESPN colleagues, called Kiper out for the drastic idea.

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