Chargers' Austin Ekeler: NFL Ban on Hip-Drop Tackles Would Be Detrimental to the Game

There's an ongoing conversation in the NFL regarding the potential ban of the hip-drop tackle, and Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler is among the players who hope the controversial tackle isn't removed from the game.

Ekeler said that banning the hip-drop tackle would be "detrimental to the game," according to ProFootballTalk's Josh Alper.

The star running back believes "tackling players is part of the game and asking officials to rule on what kind of tackle violate that rule would be a step in the wrong direction," Alper wrote.

The hip-drop tackle is "a tackle in which a defender encircles his opponent and then drops his weight down to bring him to the ground," competition committee chairman Rich McKay said at league meetings in October.

The tackle has become controversial as a number of players have suffered injuries as a result.

One of the most notable players to suffer an injury from a hip-drop tackle during the 2023 season was Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, who underwent ankle surgery and missed the team's final six regular-season games and divisional round win over the Houston Texans.

NFL head of safety Jeff Miller said this season that the hip-drop tackle is something the league wants to "get out of the game."

However, the NFLPA has long been against banning the hip-drop tackle, saying in a statement in March 2023:

"League members of the NFL Competition Committee have indicated it is considering instituting a new playing rule prohibiting a tackling technique it described as the 'hip-drop tackle.' Despite this intent, the NFL also acknowledged that they were having a difficult time defining a 'hip-drop tackle.'"

"While the players have consistently advocated for health and safety advancements, any prohibition on the 'hip-drop tackle' technique is unfair to players and unrealistic to implement. It places defensive players in an impossible position by creating indecision in the mind of any tackling player, puts officials in an unreasonable situation that will result in inconsistent calls on the field, and confuses our fans."

"We call on the NFL to reconsider implementing a rule prohibiting the 'hip drop tackle.'"

With the 2023 season set to wrap up on Sunday with Super Bowl 58 between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas, conversations on the hip-drop tackle will likely only increase in the coming months.