The NFL has implemented several rules in recent years that are aimed at reducing injuries, and the latest could be banning one specific type of tackle in 2024.
NFL executive Jeff Miller, who oversees healthy and safety for the league, told reporters on Friday that the NFL is working toward writing a rule that will ban the so-called “hip-drop tackle.” The NFL has compiled data showing that players are 20-25% more likely to be injured when on the receiving end of a hip-drop tackle than they are with other types of tackles.
The challenge, as with many other rules, will be clearly defining what a hip-drop tackle is so officials know when to penalize it.
The NFL seemingly remains intent on banning hip-drop tackles this offseason if it can properly define the technique. The league's Jeff Miller said: “I don’t want to suggest we’re at the finish line. We’re not…. [But] I think we’re moving down that path in a constructive way.”
— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) February 2, 2024
“I don’t want to suggest we’re at the finish line,” Miller said of a potential hip-drop tackle ban. “We’re not … [But] I think we’re moving down that path in a constructive way.”
A hip-drop tackle is when a defender wraps up the offensive player and then twists or falls to the ground using his full body weight. The play often results in defenders landing on the offensive player’s leg. Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews suffered a serious lower-leg injury after he was taken down via a hip-drop tackle in Week 12. The tackle was also a factor in the injury suffered by Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard during last year’s playoffs.
Players have been more open in recent years with their opposition to the hip-drop tackle. All signs point toward this being the offseason where the NFL does away with it.
