Former NFL head coach Tony Dungy is calling for a complete overhaul of the NFL’s replay assist rules, which he claims have damaged the league’s credibility. Dungy, who led the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl title, criticized the current system for its ‘non-reviewable’ plays, which he argues result in inconsistent officiating and a loss of public trust. During the Week 8 matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants, the officials ruled that Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts had not achieved forward progress, despite video evidence suggesting otherwise. Dungy pointed out that the NFL’s expedited review system, intended to correct clear mistakes, has failed to address these issues, leading to credibility concerns within the league. He also referenced other contentious calls, such like a missed pass interference call in the 2019 NFC championship game, which underscored the need for a more comprehensive review process. The former coach’s criticism comes as the league continues to tweak its rules, including recent changes to kickoff regulations, highlighting ongoing debates over the accuracy and fairness of officiating in the sport.
The NFL, the most popular professional sports league in the United States, has made several rule changes over the decades. In 2024, changes to kickoff rules faced some scrutiny. Before the start of the season, the league adjusted those rules, which drew criticism from some fans and analysts. Instant replay policies have also undergone revisions in recent years, but former NFL head coach Tony Dungy is calling for a complete overhaul. Dungy argued that today’s replay system has created a ‘credibility issue’ for game officials and the NFL. The former coach cited a controversial call on a tush push play in the Philadelphia Eagles’ 38-20 Week 8 victory over the New York Giants. Referees blew the whistle on the play for forward progress, and the Giants’ pass rusher, Kayvon Thibodeaux, knocked the ball from the hands of Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. Thibodeaux emerged from the turf with the ball, but referees ruled that Hurts’ forward progress had stalled, meaning no change of possession.
An in-game video replay appeared to show Hurts continuing to be pushed forward by a teammate. Under current rules, the play is not eligible for review. Dungy urged the NFL to make every play reviewable. The NFL does have an expedited review system, which is intended to quickly correct clear and obvious mistakes. In his latest post on X, Dungy wrote, ‘The NFL must get rid of these categories that are ‘non-reviewable!’ You can’t have New York jumping and change plays saying ‘expedited review told us…’ — and then have obvious misses that go unchanged. That’s what the review process was put in for. We had a couple in our GB-Pitt game and it’s terrible. When you change some obvious plays and not others you create a credibility issue and that’s what we have now.’ Dungy also pointed to plays he believed should have been overturned during the Green Bay Packers’ win over the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday. A few months after an apparent missed pass interference call in the 2019 NFC championship game, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced an expanded replay system would allow pass interference to be reviewed. The expansion lasted just one season, with the league later making pass interference an unreviewable play again.