Joe Mixon expressed how he felt about the no-call.
The NFL has tried to implement several ways in which they can protect their players on the field. One of those things was banning the hip-drop tackle, which has caused several serious injuries over the past few seasons. In the Sunday Night Football game with the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears, running back Joe Mixon was a victim of that tackle, and ended up injuring his ankle on the play.
Unfortunately, the refs did not penalize linebacker T.J. Edwards for making the tackle. Instead, Mixon came up limping and went to the Texans' sideline before going to the medical blue tent. He then went to the locker room for some time and reentered the game. The Texans were able to get the victory, but after the game, Mixon went to X, formerly Twitter, to express how he felt about the tackle.
“The NFL and NFLPA made it a rule and an emphasis for a reason. Time to put your money where your mouth is,” Mixon tweeted.
Mixon then later tweeted, “When I got up I asked the ref where is the flag that was a hip tackle. & his reply was no it wasn't.”
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans spoke after the game about the play where Mixon was tackled, saying that it “didn't look good” from where he was watching.
“Joe got rolled up. The guy's weight definitely came down on his ankle,” Ryans said. “We'll evaluate Joe throughout the week. Hopefully he's okay.”
The hip-drop tackle will be reviewed for a possible fine this week, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Texans, Chiefs deal with hip-drop tackle controversy in Week 2
The Houston Texans were not the only team that dealt with the hip-drop tackle. Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase was issued a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty in the fourth quarter of their game against the Kansas City Chiefs after arguing about not getting a flag for a hip-drop tackle. After the game, the referee said that they didn't feel like it was a hip-drop tackle.
In March 2024, the league announced that they were banning the hip-drop tackle, and it would be a 15-yard penalty.
“No surprise here, despite the {NFL Players Association's} objections,” NFL Network's Tom Pelissero tweeted. “The NFL made clear it wanted what it calls the swivel hip-drop tackle out of the game, and now it is. Expect more fines than flags as the league and coaches work to remove the technique.”
Some players agreed with the move, while others were confused about how they were supposed to stop a natural move. There's evidence of the move causing serious injuries, and last year it was Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb was a victim of the move. Chubb has still not returned to play, but is expected to be back sometime later in the season for the Browns.
