Bama Central

The Extra Point: Kenyan Drake Calls for Rule Change Rule After Injury

It's time for the NFL to take a long look at ways to help prevent unnecessary injuries to running backs and other playmakers.

Christopher Walsh

The Las Vegas Raiders took another hit on Sunday as running back Kenyan Drake suffered a season-ending injury after suffering a fractured ankle again Washington. 

But unlike some of the team's other setbacks during this season to forget, including Jon Gruden resigning as coach following a scandal, and the tragic car accident including Henry Ruggs III, perhaps something good could potentially come out of this. 

Later that night, Drake took to social media to start lobbying the league for a rule change that could help prevent an all-too-common common injury for running backs. 

Specifically, Drake's injury occurred during the second quarter of the 17-15 loss to Washington, when he was dragged down from behind by Daniel Wise. The defensive tackle slid under Drake's lower body while pulling him backward, giving the defender more leverage. 

Drake's lower leg got caught under Wise, and he ended up being carted off the field. 

“The NFL needs to look at this specific style of tackling,” Drake wrote. “They are throwing flags for taunting and protecting [quarterbacks] from getting touched but this is my 2nd straight season being injured by a guy pulling me back and using his body weight to roll up my legs.

​​“If the emphasis is to protect the players this should be an illegal form of tackling like a horse collar. We lose players weekly to high ankle sprains and broken bones but the league would rather flag players for erroneous taunting penalties. Let’s get the priorities together.”

Drake suffered a high ankle sprain on a similar play last season.

Roll-up tackles are nothing new, but considering beat up running backs get in general, and how many star players are currently sidelined with ankle and foot injuries (including Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley) it's time for the league to take a look at protecting ball carriers more. 

Just ask Mark Ingram II: 

Noted Dan Garland of Sports Illustrated in today's Extra Mustard: "They’re right, of course. It’s disingenuous for the NFL to talk a big game about player safety and tweak the rules to protect quarterbacks and limit head-to-head contact while not also outlawing a play that is so obviously dangerous."

Kenyan Drake after suffering ankle injury with Cardinals
SI.com

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The Extra Point is a regular feature on BamaCentral, and often includes video and other elements from our FanNation partners. Other recent segments include:

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Published
Christopher Walsh
CHRISTOPHER WALSH

Christopher Walsh is the founder and publisher of BamaCentral, which first published in 2018. He's covered the Crimson Tide since 2004, and is the author of 26 books including Decade of Dominance, 100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Nick Saban vs. College Football, and Bama Dynasty: The Crimson Tide's Road to College Football Immortality. He's an eight-time honoree of Football Writers Association of America awards and three-time winner of the Herby Kirby Memorial Award, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s highest writing honor for story of the year. In 2022, he was named one of the 50 Legends of the ASWA. Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Originally from Minnesota and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he currently resides in Tuscaloosa.