So long to the NFL you once knew.
On Monday, the league approved a controversial rule change to ban hip-drop tackles. The move will almost certainly adversely affect defensive players, making it harder for them to do their job while also further removing the "tackle" from "tackle football."
Per NFL insider Tom Pelissero, here are some plays that are no longer acceptable in the NFL.
Here’s the video the NFL just showed in a press conference of what are now banned swivel hip-drop tackles (with NFL executive Jeff Miller speaking in the background). pic.twitter.com/Y4H8h6pQkW
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 25, 2024
Using a red-zone play involving Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson and Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, ESPN's Robert Griffin III raised the question of how a defender is supposed to stop a ball-carrier when tackling from behind.
With the Hip-Drop tackle now banned in the NFL, how is Logan Wilson supposed to make this tackle correctly? pic.twitter.com/xj3VkSymtz
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) March 25, 2024
"He's not. He's just supposed to let them score and cost his team," wrote Amazon Prime analyst Richard Sherman in response.
Of course, in a situation like that, a 15-yard penalty (which would be half the distance to the goal and an automatic first down) would be favorable to allowing a touchdown, so we can probably expect defenders to use the hip-drop if the alternative is to allow a score.
Vikings safety Harrison Smith shared a measured, level-headed take, laying out his perspective from three vantage points.
As a human: mostly indifferent
— Harrison Smith (@harrismith22) March 25, 2024
As a business person:
The NFL is protecting the merchandise. National audience tunes in to see offense. Further protect offensive players/potentially weaken tackling attempts(win-win)
As Hitman: Dislike, more defensive fines, true sport weakens https://t.co/NL65TPWlFU
One thing Smith failed to account for is the rule's impact on officiating. With referees already responsible for multiple controversies, a hip-drop tackle personal foul penalty will likely impact games this fall.
Unfortunately, there will also come a time when an offensive playmaker suffers an injury on a perfectly legal hit. What happens then? Football is an inherently violent sport, and banning one form of tackle won't change that. If the league really wants to keep its players safe, it probably shouldn't let them play football at all.
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