Philadelphia Eagles S Reed Blankenship Balks at New Hip-Drop Tackle Rule

Philadelphia Eagles third-year safety Reed Blankenship is concerned about the banning of the hip-drop tackle.

Reed Blankenship tackles Saquon Barkley / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia Eagles third-year safety Reed Blankenship has himself a nice little Monday, first learning that he banked an extra $923,059 through the NFL’s Performance-Based Pay Program before things came together on a one-year extension that will keep Blankenship in Philadelphia through the 2025 season.

Not bad for an undrafted rookie out of Middle Tennessee State who got just $5,000 and an opportunity from the Eagles coming out of Murfreesboro in 2022.

Blankenship spoke with reporters via video conference Tuesday after signing his new deal, one that guarantees him at least $3.935M over the next two seasons with the chance to make anywhere from $375K to $1.375M more via playing time and Pro Bowl escalators.

Almost everything was positive from Blankenship. Positive signs on his blooming relationships with new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and first-year secondary coach Christian Parker, the jolt he’s gotten from teammates Zech McPhearson (Achilles) and Sydney Brown (ACL) progressing in their rehabs, to the excitement of reuniting with playmaking and energetic safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson on the back end.

Nov 26, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles safety Reed Blankenship (32). / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Even Blankenship’s own surgery relating to the groin injury he suffered in Week 18 against the New York Giants last season was spun as a positive moving forward.

There was one issue where Blankenship turned into a glass-is-half-empty guy, however.

Like most defenders, Blankenship recoiled a bit when asked about the NFL’s unilateral ban of the so-called swivel hip-drop tackle over the objections of the NFLPA and most of its constituents. 

“Personally, I don’t know what they kind of want us to do in the situation,” Blankenship said. “At some point, you’re going to have to bring the guy down eventually. So you just kind of do whatever you can. We’re not doing it on purpose. We’re not meaning to injure anybody.”

Those who play the game of football understand what the sport is and according to Blankenship, that still includes a healthy dose of physicality and violence.

“You want to play the game to how it was made. You want to be physical and violent,” Blankenship said. “Like I said, you gotta bring them down any way possible, and sometimes, it takes things like [the hip-drop tackle].”

The end game of the new rule will be debated based on the enforcement on game days, not the legislation. 

“It’s going to be tough,” was Blankenship’s assessment. “I feel like there’s going to be a lot more flags thrown, and fines given out than it should. That’s just my personal opinion.”

And that personal opinion on the hip-drop tackle rule comes along with the understanding that there is some altruism behind the decision, albeit with little common sense accompanying it.

“I get it. They’re trying to make the game more safe,” said Blankenship. “But it’s kind of hard. It’s a violent sport to begin with.”