6 Pittsburgh Steelers who made the NFL rewrite its rules

Kimo Von Oelhoffen- 2000-2005

This particular rule change only came about because Oelhoffen was lucky enough or rather unlucky enough to be involved with the play, finally causing the rule change. In the AFC wild Card game of the 2004 season, Pittsburgh faced its perennial AFC North rival the  Cincinnati Bengals. On the first pass play of the first quarter, Carson Palmer dropped back and completed a huge 66-yard reception to rookie receiver Chris Henry. That play set a Bengal team record for the longest playoff reception.

Not that many people remember that. They remember the play for what happened after the reception. While rushing Carson Palmer Kimo hit Carson just as he threw the pass. Unfortunately, As Kimo tried to sack Palmer, Eric Steinbach while blocking Kimo at a downward angle, caused him to hit Carson in his knee, blowing his ACL, ending his season, thus the Bengals lost to the Steelers. Kimo’s hit was not intentional; the video replay even suggests this as well. It appears he aimed for Carson’s waist while the block from Steinbach changed his trajectory. Kimo always felt bad how the play turned out, in part because he had played for Cincinnati through the 1999 season.

Thus the second time a quarterback had been hit and injured on the same type of play that year. Brian Griese had gotten injured earlier that season, suffering the same injury. After Kimo’s hit on Carson Palmer, the NFL decided the rule book needed additional modification for additional player protection, thus making it illegal to hit a quarterback at or below the knee. Despite Kimo’s involvement, the rule is called the Carson Palmer Rule.