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Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson went down with an ankle injury on Sunday. But his exit drew particular attention for what preceded it. It turns out Stevenson was just the latest NFL player to fall victim to a “hip-drop tackle.”
What, exactly, is this kind of tackle? Which other players have been affected by it? And could it soon be banned by the NFL?
Here’s everything you need to know:
What is the ‘hip-drop tackle’?
The truth is there isn’t an official definition, because until recently, no such designation existed. But NFL executives have loosely defined it as a tackle in which a defender “encircles the runner and then swings their weight” to fall on the offensive player, usually atop the player’s legs. Basically, it’s when someone uses their “dead weight” to drag or pin a player’s lower body to the ground.
Which players have been injured by the tackle?
Dozens of players have seemingly sustained injuries on perceived “hip-drop tackles” in recent years, but two notable names have intensified discussion of the technique in 2023: Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson, who could be sidelined for weeks with an ankle sprain suffered in Week 13; and Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, who suffered a potentially season-ending ankle injury and fibula fracture in Week 11.
Will the NFL ban the ‘hip-drop’?
All indications are the league would prefer to eliminate it in the near future:
Rich McKay, chairman of the NFL’s competition committee, has called the tackle the “cousin” of the horse-collar tackle, which was eliminated ahead of the 2005 season, and fellow NFL exec Jeff Miller has suggested injuries are 25 times more likely on “hip-drop tackles”…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/hip-drop-tackle-controversy-what-is-it-which-players-have-been-affected-and-will-it-be-banned-by-the-nfl/
Author : Cody Benjamin
Publish date : 2023-12-05 13:32:57
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