Hip-drop tackle gets dropped by owners
the NFL is eliminating the hip-drop tackle. NFL team owners Monday unanimously approved a rule that bans players from using a swivel technique to tackle an opponent.
A violation will result in a 15yard penalty and could ultimately result in fines for players.
NFL executive Jeff Miller said the hip-drop tackle was used 230 times last season and resulted in 15 players missing time with injuries.
the NFL players Association has adamantly opposed the rule.
“It doesn’t get used very often, but when it is used, it’s incredibly injurious to the runner,” NFL Competition Committee chairman rich McKay said from the the owners meetings at Orlando. “the runner is purely defenseless. And I have heard defenders say it before, and I hear them, ‘Hey, you’re putting me in a really tough spot. You’re saying I can’t hit here. What do I do?’ And my response has always been, ‘Well, you can’t do that, and that’s just because the guy you’re hitting is defenseless and has no way to protect himself.’ So we’ve got to protect him and you’ve got to come up with other ways, and you know what, they do.”
the league played a video during a news conference to show six specific plays in which the hip-drop tackle was used in games, with Bengals tight end Drew sample, Cowboys running back Tony Pollard, Bengals receiver Tyler Boyd, Seahawks quarterback Geno smith, and titans quarterback ryan Tannehill all being on the receiving end of the now-illegal hit.
NFL teams will continue to receive videos showing illegal hits and ways to make tackles within the rules.
“It’s a new rule, so they’ll not have seen it,” McKay said about officiating the penalty.
A significant change to kickoffs wasn’t presented for a vote, but McKay said it’s possible owners will consider it tuesday instead of waiting for the league meetings in May.
All rules proposals require 24 out of 32 votes for approval. Only two other proposals were approved by owners.
Bryant to Texans
Myles Bryant won’t be back with the patriots. the free agent cornerback has agreed to a oneyear deal with the texans, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Bryant appeared a depth option going into last season, his fourth with the patriots since they signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2020, but a cavalcade of injuries forced him into a leading role. He played 74.8 percent of the team’s defensive snaps in 2023, fourth-highest on the team and tops among cornerbacks, and finished with 65 solo tackles, one interception, and seven passes defensed.
Bryant also was New England’s primary punt returner last season, averaging 15 yards on 15 runbacks.
For his four seasons, Bryant played in 56 games and made 18 starts.