NFL crackdown as four players fined for breaking controversial new rule

The NFL has dished out several fines for the hip-drop tackle which were not flagged by officials in the immediate aftermath of games.

A total of four players got slapped with fines after getting caught using the dodgy tackle in Week Two. Chicago Bears' linebacker T.J. Edwards, Chiefs' Nick Bolton, and Jets' C.J. Mosley each had to fork out $16,883 (£12,700). Rams' Desjuan Johnson got off slightly easier, being charged $5,191 (£4,000)

T. J. Edwards' controversial tackle was the one that really got everyone talking. It happened during the third quarter when the Texans claimed a victory over the Bears at 19-13.

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Edwards targeted Joe Mixon, who immediately seemed to be in pain, clutching his ankle after he hit the ground. While Aaron Rodgers narrowly escaped a major injury while playing against the New York Jets, concerns loomed over Tua Tagovailoa following concussion protocols spurred by an NFL legend's contentious advice.

Despite Mixon managing to make a brief comeback in-game, he only lasted another seven snaps before calling it quits. Then, it came out on Saturday that he wouldn't be joining the Texans for their upcoming game in Minnesota against the Vikings.

Texans' head coach DeMeco Ryans weighed in on the matter Monday, without mincing his words. Speaking to the press, Ryans declared Edwards definitely made a hip-drop tackle, even though there wasn't a flag in sight.

"[The tackle] definitely in my mind, is considered the hip-drop," said Ryans to the journalists. "When the defender unweights himself and then he puts all of his weight on the runner's legs, you see why they want to get the hip-drop tackle out of the game. Because it causes a lot of injuries when it happens. The hip-drop tackle doesn't happen much, but the percentage of injury when it does happen is very high and you saw that there with Joe and his ankle. The defender landed on his ankle."

Mixon echoed these concerns post-match, urging the NFL to take action on the hip-drop tackle rule agreed at the Annual League Meeting in Orlando, Florida. "The NFL and NFLPA made it a rule and an emphasis for a reason," he stated on X. "Time to put your money where your mouth is."

In March, league owners decided that a hip-drop tackle would incur a 15-yard penalty and potential fine. According to the NFL rulebook, such a move is now illegal if a player "grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms" aiming to "bring a runner to the ground".

It also becomes a foul if a player "unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner's leg(s) at or below the knee."

Following the game-changing overhaul, a host of disgruntled NFL defensive players - representing both those who've hung up their boots and others still in the fray - took to social media platforms to air their grievances. T.

J. Ward didn't pull any punches when he tweeted: "Attention all defensive players. When out there on the field. Try your best not to harm the offensive players. Even if you have to put their well being above your own. These rules are a joke. No wonder every offensive record is being broke."

Miami Dolphins' Jevon Holland chimed in with a sarcastic nugget, "Breaking news: Tackles banned," and LA Rams' Terrell Burgess voiced his incredulity, tweeting: "How do you ban something that in some cases you can't control? smh."