Dallas Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson is being punished by the NFL for a hip-drop tackle on a seemingly routine play that resulted in no foul called on the field during last Monday's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Halfway through the fourth quarter, Wilson tackled Bengals tight end Tanner Hudson after a big gain, which the league determined to be a hip-drop tackle, which was notoriously banned by the league this offseason.
Wilson is being fined $16,883 for the play. It's a hefty price, too: Outside of fighting, impermissible use of helmet, and making contact with officials, that amount is the highest predetermined fine for an NFL player, excluding second offenses.
Below is the play in question, with many didn't even notice since there was no flag thrown on the field on gameday.
The NFL describes hip drop tackles as those which "occur when a defender wraps up a ball carrier and rotates or swivels his hips, unweighting himself and dropping onto ball carrier’s legs during the tackle."
This is Wilson's second fine of the year and fifth for his career.
Notably, the NFL didn't fine rookie LB Marist Liufau for an uncalled facemask against Bengals QB Joe Burrow, a miss by officials that caused well-deserved outrage on Monday.
Every Saturday, the NFL is announcing its league-wide fines and amounts for penalties committed the previous week. The money collected by the league through player fines is "donated to the Professional Athletes Foundation to support Legends in need and the NFL Foundation to further support the health, safety and wellness of athletes across all levels, including youth football and the communities that support the game."
