The NFL's owners made a dramatic change to the rulebook on Monday and it's a change that most NFL players don't seem too happy about.
The owners unanimously voted to ban hip-drop tackles starting with the 2024 season. If a player get flagged for a hip-drop tackle, his team will get hit with a 15-yard penalty and the opponent will get an automatic first down.
Here is the exact language from the new rule: "It is a foul if a player uses the following technique to bring a runner to the ground: (a) grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms; and (b) 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."
The NFLPA did NOT want to see the tackle banned, but the owners approved the new rule anyway and it's pretty clear based on social media reaction that a lot of players and former players around the NFL aren't very thrilled with the new rule.
Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen doesn't like what the NFL is becoming.
Saints star Cam Jordan posted a puking emoji on social meda, which would seem to be a strong sign that he doesn't like the new rule.
Dolphins safety Jevon Holland clearly is not too excited about the change.
Bengals corner Mike Hilton and Falcons safety Micah Abernathy don't like how much the NFL is helping offenses.
Patriots linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley pointed out all the rules that work in favor of the offense.
Texans safety Adrian Amos thinks the rule will make things tougher on officials, who already have a tough enough job.
Even some offensive players felt bad about the new rule, like Cardinals running back Michael Carter.
JJ Watt isn't in the NFL anymore, but the three-time defensive player of the year also took a shot at the new rule.
If you're wondering why the hip-drop tackle was banned, it's pretty simple, the NFL wants to cut down on injuries. The NFL did some research on this tackle and the league found that the injury rate is somewhere between 20 to 25 times higher than that of other tackles.
The NFL provided several examples of the now banned hip-drop tackle at the annual league meeting on Monday.
The NFL also added that there were 230 instances of the swivel hip-drop tackle in 2023, which was an average of roughly once per game. Last season, a total of 15 players missed time due to injury from the hip-drop tackle.