When the NFL considers whether to eliminate the hip drop tackle next offseason, video of Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews’ injury will likely be shown.
Andrews was injured on a hip-drop tackle by Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson in the first quarter on Thursday. The same type of tackle caused Patrick Mahomes to suffer a severe ankle sprain last postseason, and that sparked debate about whether it should be banned.
After the game, which the Ravens won 34-20, said head coach John Harbaugh The injury was serious and “it looks like a season-ending injury.”
Near the end of the Ravens’ opening drive, Andrews was tackled near the goal line and then writhed on the ground in pain. He was ejected before the end of the first quarter.
The hip-drop tackle, in which a defender pulls his opponent downward with his weight, often pinning the ball carrier’s legs underneath, could be banned by the league’s competition committee because of the danger and recent injuries it causes.
Mark Andrews of the Baltimore Ravens is tackled by Logan Wilson of the Cincinnati Bengals, a play that knocked Andrews out of the game. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) (Patrick Smith via Getty Images)
Andrews hobbled into the locker room and the Amazon Prime Video broadcast said he was on crutches. Andrews is the key player in the Ravens’ passing game, a three-time Pro Bowler. He had 521 yards and six touchdowns heading into Thursday’s game. Losing him for the rest of the season is a huge blow.
It won’t be much consolation for Andrews, but next season this type of tackling may no longer be allowed.