NFL considers banning hip-drop tackles

The NFL is considering the elimination of the hip-drop tackle, citing high risk of injury. NFL executive Jeff Miller highlighted its dangers at the league meetings, stating that the hip-drop tackle increases the risk of injury by 25 times compared to a standard tackle.

“It is an unforgiving behavior that we need to define and eliminate from the game,” said Miller, via Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press. “To put it into perspective, we witness an injury almost every week during the regular season due to the hip-drop.”

The hip-drop tackle gained attention during the 2022 postseason when Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Cowboys running back Tony Pollard suffered injuries from such tackles. Mahomes injured his ankle in a hip-drop tackle by Jaguars defensive lineman Arden Key, while Pollard’s season ended with a fractured fibula and ligament damage in his ankle from a hip-drop tackle by 49ers defensive back Jimmie Ward.

Despite discussions about a potential ban on the hip-drop tackle due to the resulting injuries (similar to what the National Rugby League in Australia did), neither the Competition Committee nor any team proposed a ban during the offseason. The league ultimately concluded that the tackle is challenging to define clearly and consistently enforce.

However, Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith briefly left a game against the Giants in Week 4 after sustaining a knee injury from a hip-drop tackle by Isaiah Simmons, which infuriated Smith.

The NFL previously banned the horse-collar tackle in 2005 following a series of injuries in 2004. Rich McKay, the chairman of the NFL’s Competition Committee, referred to the hip-drop tackle as a “cousin” of the horse-collar tackle.

McKay explained the mechanics of the hip-drop tackle, stating that the defender encircles and tackles the runner, then swings their weight and falls on the side of the runner’s leg (ankle or knee), making the runner defenseless. This tactic is often employed by smaller players against larger opponents to bring them down. The weight of the defender traps the ankle underneath, leading to injuries.

The league will continue to study the hip-drop tackle, as McKay believes it poses an unreasonable risk of injury.

“It’s our responsibility to find a way to regulate it,” McKay added.