Peppers again criticizes hip-drop rule
FOXBOROUGH — Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers isn’t a fan of the NFL’s new rule to remove the hip-drop tackle from the game.
“I don’t like it,” Peppers said Tuesday. “I don’t know how you officiate it. It’s a 15-yard penalty. Is it a personal foul so if someone does it twice, do they get eliminated from the game? I just have a lot of questions about it. What are they looking for? What draws the flag?”
Ahead of the 2024 season, all 32 teams voted to ban the hip-drop, which, using the NFL’s language, “occurs when a defender wraps up a ball carrier and rotates or swivels his hips, unweighting himself and dropping onto the ball carrier’s legs during the tackle.”
After reviewing more than 20,000 tackles the past two seasons, the league determined the hip-drop tackle is responsible for lower extremity injuries at a rate 20 times higher than other types of tackles. A hipdrop tackle going forward is a 15-yard penalty and automatic first down.
When teams agreed during owners meetings to eliminate the hip-drop tackle, Peppers sounded off on social media and called the NFL “soft.”
“I don’t understand how the players have no say in any of these rule changes,” he wrote. “While they’re at it, they need to change the name of whatever [we’re] playing cause this isn’t football anymore.”
Peppers, whose play style is defined by physicality, said he expects to learn more during preseason about how to proceed. Although he doesn’t believe any of his previous tackles could be considered a hip-drop tackle, he expressed dissatisfaction with the growing number of restrictions on defensive players.
“As a defender, I’ve never had to worry about the health of the guy I’m tackling,” Peppers said. “In certain situations, I mean, you got to get the guy on the ground, you got to get him on the ground. As long as you do it legally, no grabbing him by the horse collar or the facemask. Now, this is just another obstacle for us.”
Henry wanted to stay
Tight end Hunter Henry chose to return to the Patriots even before free agency opened, opting out of testing the open market.
“I wanted to be here,” Henry said. “I love this locker room. I love this area. I love this fan base. I love this organization. I wanted to be a part of this. I didn’t like how last year went, didn’t like how the last two years have been, and wanted to be a part of that change.”
Henry’s representation could have engaged in negotiations with other clubs in search of a larger payday or a Super Bowl contender, but he elected to be a part of this organization’s new regime.
Although Henry did not work very closely with new head coach Jerod Mayo, given their differing sides of the ball, he is a fan of Mayo’s energy and “persona.”
“I’m excited for this new start,” Henry said. “To be a part of that is exciting. I have a lot of pride in this organization, too. They brought me here three years ago now. I’m just excited. I think it’ll be cool to be part of the new era.”
Turnout high
The Patriots had a great turnout Monday for the first day of their voluntary offseason program. Among those who reported to Gillette Stadium were Peppers, Henry, quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett and Bailey Zappe; cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Jonathan Jones; linebackers Ja’Whaun Bentley, Anfernee Jennings, Jahlani Tavai, and Raekwon McMillan; wide receivers DeMario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne, KJ Osborn, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Tyquan Thornton; running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and Kevin Harris; center David Andrews; guard Cole Strange; offensive tackles Calvin Anderson and Conor McDermott; nose tackle Davon Godchaux; defensive tackles Daniel Ekuale and Sam Roberts; kicker Chad Ryland; and special teamer Brenden Schooler.