A DALLAS Cowboys veteran defender has officially been on the wrong side of a punishment decision made by the NFL.
Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson received a fine for performing a banned move during the team’s 27-20 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 14.
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown scores a 16-yard touchdown against Dallas Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson in Week 14[/caption]
On Sunday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the league fined Wilson $16,883 for a fourth-quarter tackle of Bengals tight end Tanner Hudson during the Monday Night Football game.
The 29-year-old Wilson wasn’t flagged on the play, but the NFL determined that his actions met the requirements to be deemed as a hip-drop tackle.
It was Wilson’s second fine of the year and fifth of his six-year career.
He was previously fined $11,255 for a Week 5 late hit during the Cowboys’ victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The hip-drop tackle has been classified in the category of necessary roughness and, as a result, is subject to a fine, even without being called for a penalty on the field.
Still, NFL fans took issue with Wilson being docked for the tackle while also believing that the move shouldn’t be illegal.
“How dare he try to make that tackle. Next time just watch him run into the end zone. Dirty player,” a fan seemed to sarcastically write.
“Wow. They should just make [the hip-drop tackle] legal again lol,” another said.
“Can’t even tackle anymore this league is so soft smfh,” a third commented.
“im so iffy on the hipdrop tackle bc like yeah i dont want players getting injured from that but its also so hard to tackles players from behind especially if theyre bigger all i can think is enforcing aiming for legs? being a defender in the nfl is ROUGH,” a fourth added.
The league banned the hip-drop tackle as part of a rule change for the 2024 season, saying the action will be called if a player “grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms” and also “unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner’s leg(s) at or below the knee.”
The move has led to serious injuries to numerous star players in recent memory, including running back Tony Pollard while he was a member of the Dallas Cowboys during the 2022 playoffs.
San Francisco 49ers safety Jimmie Ward used the technique to bring Pollard to the ground and the offensive player suffered a high ankle sprain and fractured fibula.
A ref can issue a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down if the hip-drop is used during the game.
However, the hip-drop tackle has resulted in more fines than penalties on the field during its first year as a banned move.
Wilson was the first Cowboys player to be fined for a hip-drop tackle.
He would record five total tackles during the team’s 30-14 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 15.
The Cowboys forced Bryce Young to turn the ball over four times.
Dallas is currently 6-8 and has now won three of their last four games.
They will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Sunday.
