NFL players accuse league bosses of trying to ‘turn this s*** into flag football’ after Roger Goodell claims hip-drop tackles could be banned
- Injuries to Geno Smith, Tyreek Hill and Mark Andrews have led to calls for a ban
- New York Jets cornerback DJ Reed doesn't want to see football disappear
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After news filtered through that NFL leadership is in favor of banning the hip-drop tackle, some players were unhappy with the proposed change.
“It takes football out of the game,” New York Jets cornerback DJ Reed told The New York Post. “I know it's an attacking league, but damn, they're going to turn this s*** into flag football.”
'I react this way because I didn't know anything about this. Tom Brady said it,” Reed continued. “You heard the Tom Brady quote. Football is no longer football. Soft.'
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Vice President Troy Vincent both said Wednesday they were in favor of banning the measure after several injuries related to its use this season.
A hip-drop tackle occurs when a defender grabs a player to tackle him from behind or to the side and immediately falls to the ground, becoming a dead weight, usually forcing the player being tackled into an awkward position.
New York Jets cornerback DJ Reed doesn't like the fact that the hip-drop tackle could be banned
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is in favor of banning the move due to the injury risks
Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith are among the players injured this season by a hip-drop tackle.
The hip-drop tackle has been identified by Rich McKay, chairman of the NFL competition committee, as the “cousin of the horse collar.” NFL executive Jeff Miller says this move is “25 times” more likely to injure a player than other tackling methods.
Not all players are against banning the move, including Jets tight end Tyler Conklin.
'After all, we're playing football, right? It is a violent game,” Conklin told the newspaper New York Post. “S*** happens, which is a shame.”
“Whatever they decide to do, they decide to do. I kind of feel for defensive players sometimes,” Conklin added. 'There are so many things working against them. Some of it is a little too much sometimes.”