Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon criticized the NFL on Sunday for failing to enforce its new hip-drop tackle rule after he injured his ankle in what he believed was an illegal tackle by Chicago Bears linebacker TJ Edwards.
After the Texans’ 19-13 win over the Bears on Sunday night, Mixon posted on X that the league “made it a rule and a focus for a reason.” The NFL had banned the swivel hip drop tackle — a technique considered by league officials to be a threat to player safety — in March with unanimous approval from NFL owners. Mixon left the game after the tackle of Edwards.
“It’s time to let actions speak,” Mixon wrote.
The league defined a swivel hip drop tackle as consisting of three parts: A tackler grabs a runner attempting to make a tackle with both hands/arms, “reduces his weight by rotating and dropping his hip and/or lower body,” and then lands on the runner’s leg(s), pinning it/them at or below the knee.
Such a tackle would result in a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down. The technique has become more popular in recent years as players have refrained from using their helmets when making tackles, which results in penalties and increases the risk of concussions.
The NFL and NFLPA made this a rule and a focus for a reason. It’s time to put your money where your mouth is.
— ⚡️Primetime!!!⚡️ (@Joe_MainMixon) 16 September 2024
Unless it’s clear in real time, referees aren’t allowed to throw a flag. But that doesn’t mean the film won’t be reviewed by the league. A player could also receive a warning or fine after the fact. Two New York Giants players were reportedly fined after Week 1, even though neither of them received a flag for a hip-drop tackle during the game.
The NFL Players Association expressed disappointment with the decision to ban the tackle when it was voted on, saying players were concerned that referees would consistently enforce such a tackle in a fast-paced game.
After Sunday’s game, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said he “couldn’t really tell” whether Mixon was brought down by a swivel hip-drop tackle.
“I saw Joe curl up and they kind of got tangled up and the guy’s weight was clearly on his ankle, which didn’t look good to me,” Ryans said.
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Mixon’s injury wasn’t the only case Sunday in which an uncalled violation of a potential hip-drop tackle drew attention. Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase received a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the fourth quarter of a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs after arguing with a referee for failing to call a hip-drop tackle.
“We told him that we did not believe it was a hip-drop tackle,” referee Alex Kemp said of Chase’s play.
Mixon finished the game against the Bears with nine carries for 25 yards.
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