Jon Gruden has weighed in on one of the NFL’s most debated rules, and he’s not holding back. The former Super Bowl-winning coach, who recently joined Barstool Sports, expressed his concerns about how pass interference penalties are impacting the modern game. Speaking on Barstool’s popular “Pardon My Take” podcast on Friday, Gruden called for a significant rule change to bring the NFL more in line with college football.
Gruden’s “biggest concern” centers on the current enforcement of pass interference penalties. In the NFL, pass interference is a spot foul, meaning the penalty is assessed from the point of the infraction, often resulting in massive yardage gains for the offense.
Gruden believes this is excessive and proposes adopting the college football rule, where pass interference carries a 15-yard penalty regardless of where it occurs on the field.
“I would make it the college rule, honestly, because some of these pass interference calls are impacting the game, just one play there,” Gruden said during the interview. “I don’t think there’s a common thread in what is and what isn’t pass interference. I think this crew calls it a little different from that crew. That is a penalty right now that, I think, has taken over a lot of these games.”
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Gruden also criticized the inconsistency of officiating, noting that what constitutes pass interference varies from game to game and crew to crew. He argued that penalties are being called too often for marginal contact or plays where interference isn’t immediately clear.
One of Gruden’s biggest frustrations is how pass interference penalties can drastically alter the outcome of games. In the NFL, a deep, underthrown ball can easily result in a receiver drawing a penalty—even on a play that had little chance of success.
A single pass interference call can sometimes gift the offense 40 or 50 yards, which Gruden and others feel is disproportionate to the infraction.
“We’ve seen quarterbacks just throw it up there, and if the wide receiver gets lucky, it’s a 60-yard penalty,” Gruden said. “That’s just not right. A flag should only be thrown if the interference is obvious.”
Gruden’s comments carry weight, especially given his background as an offensive-minded coach. As a Super Bowl champion and longtime advocate for high-powered offenses, it’s notable that he feels the pendulum has swung too far against defenses. Gruden joins a growing list of NFL voices—including some legendary figures—who believe the league has become overly punitive toward defenders.
This isn’t just an academic debate. Pass interference penalties have been among the most controversial calls in the league, with some high-profile games decided by questionable flags.
Critics argue that the rule gives too much power to officials and too much advantage to offenses, diminishing the competitive balance of the game.
Gruden’s proposal to make pass interference a 15-yard penalty, as in college football, would significantly reduce the impact of these calls. Such a change would shift the dynamics of the game, encouraging quarterbacks to be more strategic rather than relying on potential penalties to bail them out.
Whether the NFL will seriously consider a rule change remains to be seen, but Gruden’s stance has reignited the conversation.
With pass interference calls increasingly scrutinized by fans and analysts alike, the league may eventually need to revisit how this penalty is enforced to maintain fairness and consistency on the field.
