NFL Owners Approve Ban of Swivel Hip-Drop Tackle

It was a landslide vote. The 32 NFL owners voted unanimously on Monday to outlaw the swivel hip-drop tackle during the league meetings in Florida, according to NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.

The move was anticipated, with Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones explaining to reporters Monday that removing the swivel hip-drop tackle was essential and necessary for player safety.

“You can coach that one. In my mind, that’s one of the easier deals,” he said. “It reminds me a little of (the) horse collar. That’s needed. That’s very needed. It’s very obvious that it’s injurious.”

“It’s just too sudden, like [an offensive player has] been shot between the eyes when [a defender catches] them just right,” he added. “I know of no other way to tackle somebody that stops them right where they are in the open field. Well, that’s got to rupture something.”

Atlanta Falcons CEO and competition committee chairman Rich McKay specified that the unique form of hip-drop tackle being banned from the game was one where “a player literally grabs and then unweighs himself and lifts himself in the air and comes down on the knee or ankle.”

In 2023, Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews was among the players to sustain a serious injury from a swivel hip-drop tackle. Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson applied the technique to take him down on November 16. Andrews suffered a cracked fibula and ligament damage and was forced to sit out until the AFC Championship Game against the eventual champion Kansas City Chiefs.

Such a maneuver will now result in a 15-yard penalty and automatic first down for the offense, though the expectation is that it will most likely mean damage to the wallet and result in more fines than penalties on the field in 2024, as officials and players alike adjust to the change.

Not everyone was happy with the rule change however. The NFL Players Association joined many current and former players in objecting to the proposal last week. In a statement posted to social media, the NFLPA said the rule would cause confusion among players, coaches, officials and fans. There was plenty of criticism and backlash on social media after Monday’s vote as well.

Two other rule changes were officially approved on Monday, most notably, teams will now earn a third challenge after just one successful challenge. Previously, a team would only get a third challenge if both of its challenges were successful. A major foul by the offense will be enforced prior to a change of possession in situations where there are penalties by both teams. It appears as though the proposed modified kickoff rules will not be voted on just yet, however.

There will be plenty of barber shop talk as NFL fans will have plenty to debate in the meantime, however, as the changes to hip-drop tackles provided plenty of impassioned opinions on Monday.