Roger Goodell Says NFL Is Ready to Ban Controversial Hip-Drop Tackle

The NFL commissioner points to a rash of injuries as cause to ban the risky tackling technique.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says the NFL is ready to ban the controversial hip-drop tackle, which has caused several injuries this season, including one to Ravens star tight end Mark Andrews, and this past Sunday to Dolphins star Tyreek Hill.

“We all should work to get that out of the game,” Goodell said at a press conference from league ownership meetings on Wednesday. “You see it escalated the number of times it occurred this season. The [potential] injury can be very devastating. We saw that also. It’s not just happening at the NFL level. It’s happening at other levels. It’s something that I feel we’ve got to work very hard to get that removed this spring.”

NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent echoed the sentiment.

“We have to now,” Vincent said of a potential ban. “… It’s a gruesome play.”

A hip-drop tackle takes place when a defender tackles a ball carrier from behind and throws all of his body weight on the legs of the runner by leading with his hip. With the league continuing to change tackling rules to prevent head injuries, the hip-drop tackle, which can cause significant leg injuries, has become more prominent. In fact, league officials cited that the injury rate for the hip-drop tackle is 25 times higher than that of other tackling methods.

With some of the league’s best offensive players being sidelined due to the injury from the hip drop, it’s no surprise Goodell intends to ban the tackle before next season.