The Baltimore Ravens will need to move forward without All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews after he suffered a season-ending ankle injury on a play where Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson used the hip-drop tackle to take Andrews down. After the game, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh wondered if using a hip-drop tackle was necessary.
“It’s a tough tackle,” Harbaugh said of the controversial hip-drop tackle. “Was it even necessary in that situation?” Harbaugh asked reporters after the game.
While the hip-drop tackle is legal according to NFL rules, many in and around the league feel it shouldn’t be. The NFL Players Association has been reluctant to ban hip-drop tackles because it puts defenders at a massive disadvantage.
That may be the case, but player safety is also a priority. These types of tackles can put players in harm’s way.
Harbaugh added that the Ravens are sending this play and another instance where Wilson used the hip-drop tackle to bring down quarterback Lamar Jackson, who also suffered an apparent ankle injury as a result, to the NFL’s league office for review. Jackson was able to finish the game, but he notably hobbled at points throughout the contest.
There are already several rules in place that make it even more difficult than it already was for defenders in the NFL. However, it is in the best interest of the player’s health and safety. With that in mind, the hip-drop tackle has become a very debated topic in recent years and this further complicates the matter.
