The NFL’s much-discussed new rule against hip-drop tackles has only produced one penalty flag this season, against Carolina’s Jacoby Windmon on Sunday — and the league’s disciplinary office didn’t agree with that call.
The NFL confirmed today that Windmon was not fined for a hip-drop tackle, even though the officials flagged him for one when he tackled Arizona’s James Conner.
The penalty seemed questionable at the time, and former NFL head of officiating Dean Blandino said on the Fox broadcast that he thought it was a bad call. It appears that the league office agrees.
Meanwhile, two other players — both on the 49ers — were fined by the NFL for hip-drop tackles in Week 16. San Francisco’s Jordan Elliott was fined $11,774 for a hip-drop tackle, and teammate Fred Warner was fined $16,883.
When the NFL passed the rule against hip-drop tackles, many players complained that the rule was too ill-defined and would be enforced inconsistently. Those players are being proven right, as the NFL routinely fines players for hip-drop tackles that weren’t called on the field, and now the first player to get called on the field has escaped league discipline.
