Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews has firsthand experience with how dangerous the recently banned hip-drop tackle can be, and he’s pleased to see it go.
The 28-year-old, who underwent surgery last season after suffering a fractured fibula and ligament damage in a Week 11 game against the Bengals — due to what was considered to be a hip-drop tackle by Cincinnati linebacker Logan Wilson — spoke out on Tuesday about the removal of the tackling method.
“Taking that tackle out of the game is not a bad thing,” Andrews said, via ESPN. “I think defenses can find a way to get around that.”
The hip-drop tackle is defined as any time a defender grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms, and then swivels or drops his hips or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner’s leg below the knees.
The NFL announced its decision to ban it in March after the owners voted unanimously at the annual league meeting in favor of its removal. Andrews, a three-time Pro Bowler, believes the decision will be more of a benifit than a negative.
“I’m always an advocate for making the game safer,” Andrews said. “You look at the last five years, there’s been a lot of big injuries with that. So just bringing the awareness to that type of tackle, I think is good.”
According to new league rules, a hip-drop tackle violation result in a 15-yard penalty if flagged and could ultimately result in fines for players regardless of whether a flag is thrown.
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