Seven months after the NFL Players Association came out against the NFL’s consideration to ban the “Hip-Drop” tackle, the league is again trying to best define the tackle and subsequently remove it from the game, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
Per Rapoport, NFL Executive Vice President Jeff Miller announced during a meeting in New York City Tuesday afternoon that the league is working towards defining the dangerous tackle attempt, which has reportedly caused 25 times more injuries than other tackle attempts, though what those numbers look like exactly is unknown at this time.
The hip-drop tackle typically occurs when a defender is making a tackle behind the ball carrier, leaving his feet and then subsequently falling on their hip to drag the player down. More often than not, the ball carrier’s leg or legs get tangled up underneath the player attempting the hip-drop tackle, leading to injuries.
Infamously, Dallas running back Tony Pollard’s broken fibula was the poster child for the dangers of the hip tackle. The NFLPA originally came out against the potential ban of the tackle because it would limit the way players attempt to tackle.
Prior to the NFLPA coming out against removing the tackle from the game, NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills stated to the Washington Post in early February that the league was considering changing the rule to prevent injuries from happening.
“I think it’ll be a very active offseason conversation, to look at the mechanism,” he told the Washington Post via Pro Football Talk. “We have noted that type of tackle that you mentioned. And I think it needs to be a very active discussion point, again, with the competition committee and others this season.”
Seattle quarterback Geno Smith was the latest player injured on a hip-drop tackle attempt on Monday Night Football by New York Giants linebacker Isaiah Simmons. After the game, Smith called it a dirty play and said there was no place in the sport for the play, though he may have been referring more to Simmons making that play near the sideline, rather than the tackle itself.
The hip-drop tackle has been hotly debated in recent months, which had Steelers star defensive lineman Cameron Heyward coming out against the removal. He called it “so stupid” while star Steelers pass rusher T.J. Watt stated that there is “nothing malicious” with the tackle attempt.
The potential for the NFL to define the “hip-drop” tackle and remove it from the game is another step towards making the game an offensive one, taking away the ability of defenders to get offensive players on the ground any way possible to do their jobs.
We’ll see what the NFLPA has to say in response to Miller’s comments at the league meeting Tuesday. Chances are, defensive players are going to be irate at the news the league is trying to define and remove the play moving forward, even with the injury numbers piling up on such plays.
