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Each season, the NFL looks at ways to improve player safety and make the game safer in hopes of fewer injuries. The league plans to continue that trend and is considering eliminating hip-drop tackles, according to CMO Allen Sills.
These are the kind of tackles that saw Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard get injured and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes get injured in the playoffs. Next season, these types of tackles may be illegal and could count as penalties.
The NFL's chief medical officer said via the Washington Post that it will be a very active off-season as far as considering eliminating the hip drop tackle.
“I think it’ll be a very active offseason conversation, to look at the mechanism. Obviously, the ‘hip-drop’ tackle is not the only cause of high ankle sprains. There are certainly other factors. We have noted that type of tackle that you mentioned. And I think it needs to be a very active discussion point, again, with the competition committee and others this season.”
The defenders in the league aren't too happy with the news, with many of them protesting it on Twitter.
The NFL saw a rise in concussions during the 2022-23 season
While the NFL is looking for ways to become safer, it saw a rise in concussions during the 2022-23 season compared to the season prior.
ESPN reporter Adam Schefter tweeted that the league acknowledged on Friday that it saw a rise in head injuries this past season.
A total of 149 concussions have been recorded in over 271 games this season, compared to 126 last season. Sills spoke about the head injuries and said that one reason they saw an increase in it was due to a new protocol that "broadened and strengthened" the definition of a concussion.
While the NFL aims to get safer each year, they'll always evaluate new procedures on rules that could make sense for the future of the game, like considering eliminating the hip drop tackle.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit David Sills, ProFootballTalk, and H/T Sportskeeda
