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The NFL is reportedly investigating a tackle that injured Chris Godwin due to elements of a banned hip drop
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The NFL is reportedly investigating a tackle that injured Chris Godwin due to elements of a banned hip drop

The tackle that injured Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin on Monday night is reportedly being investigated by the NFL to see if it contains elements of the hip-drop takedown, which the NFL banned from the game in March.

The tackle occurred in the final minute of Monday night’s game between the Buccaneers and Baltimore Ravens, which the Ravens won 41-31. Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith and another Ravens defender ran toward Godwin, who tried to take him down first, and it was Smith who ultimately dropped Godwin to the ground.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin, 14, is aircast off the field during an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin, 14, is aircast off the field during an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin (14) is aircast off the field during a game against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday in Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)

After the play it was immediately clear that Godwin was in a lot of pain. He was eventually carted off and head coach Todd Bowles said after the game that Godwin likely had a dislocated ankle. He will reportedly undergo surgery this week and miss the rest of the season.

Although the on-field tackle was not identified as a hip-drop, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said the tackle “appears to have all the elements” of a hip-drop tackle. Here’s the definition of a hip drop tackle, straight from the NFL’s football activities website.

A hip-drop tackle occurs when a defender wraps around a ball carrier and twists or turns his hips, causing him to lose his weight and fall onto the ball carrier’s legs during the tackle.

If it had been identified on the field as a hip-drop tackle, the Ravens would have been assessed a 15-yard penalty, the Bucs would have been awarded an automatic first down, and Smith would have been automatically fined $16,883 (the same as with horseneck tackles , blindside blocks, etc.). Smith will still be fined if the NFL determines he used a hip-drop tackle on Godwin.