Booger McFarland doubles down on controversial John Mateer comments

Booger McFarland found himself in hot water back in October when he told a national TV audience that if he were a Texas defender, he’d be looking to step on John Mateer’s surgically repaired hand.

The Oklahoma quarterback was making his return just 17 days after surgery to repair a broken bone in his right hand, and there was McFarland — in the ABC studio with Kevin Negandhi — casually suggesting defenders should target the injury.

“That’s a thumb and a hand I would be looking to step on.” – ESPN/ABC’s Booger McFarland on Oklahoma QB John Mateer, who recently had surgery on a broken bone in his right hand. 😬

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— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing.bsky.social) October 11, 2025 at 4:21 PM

Unsurprisingly, an ESPN analyst saying he’d target a college quarterback’s surgically repaired hand didn’t go over well with the masses. The clip went viral, with people questioning whether McFarland should be openly encouraging that, let alone on a national broadcast.

McFarland didn’t apologize then, and he’s not apologizing now. This week on The Ringer’s The Press Box podcast with Bryan Curtis and Joel Anderson, the former NFL defensive lineman not only doubled down on his October comment, but he also expanded on the entire philosophy behind it, explaining in detail why targeting injured players is just part of football.

“It’s a physical sport, so if I’m going to sack the quarterback and he’s got the ball, I’m swiping,” McFarland said. “Now, you might not be able to hit it on purpose, but I’m in contact with his arms, his hands, I’m tackling, I’m squeezing, I’m breaking, I’m hitting. If he’s dodging, if he’s on the ground, I may just put my hand on his hand… Like, it’s gonna be nasty. It’s a contact sport. If he plays the game, it’s gonna get hit.”

Booger McFarland got a lot of attention for saying he’d target quarterback John Mateer’s injured hand.

He has no regrets.

Full interview w/ me and @byjoelanderson here: https://t.co/Yj4HZA9JyQ pic.twitter.com/S9hSoexDno

— Bryan Curtis (@bryancurtis) November 7, 2025

And it’s not just hands. McFarland made clear that any injury a player reveals becomes fair game.

“Everybody said, ‘Aw man, you shouldn’t do that. That is so egregious.’ Man, it’s football,” he said. “If you tell me your foot’s hurting, by any means necessary, I’m gonna step on your foot. Otherwise, don’t come out here, or don’t tell me what’s going on. I’m trying to win. I’m trying to succeed also. So, people have got to understand that this has been going on a long time, man — a long time.”

Cracked ribs? Defenders see that rib protector, and they’re aiming right for it. Hurt foot? They’re stepping on it. McFarland laid out exactly how this works across every type of injury a player might try to play through.

“You best believe if his arm is up, man, I’m trying to hit him in the ribs,” McFarland said. “It’s football. I’m not going to say, ‘Oh, I know your ribs hurt; let me go around to the other side.’ Man, it doesn’t work like that. This is the sport we play. People love to eat the sausage, but when you tell them how the sausage is made, they don’t really like it anymore. Well, tough luck.”

McFarland isn’t being provocative. He genuinely believes there’s an unwritten rule in football that’s existed forever.

“Because there’s a rule. When we step out on the field and we strap up, you’re healthy enough to play. All else doesn’t matter. If you can’t play, don’t step on the field. That’s the rule of our game. It’s always been that way — college, pro, high school — doesn’t matter. If you strap it up and you cross the white line, everything’s fair game.”