Four NFL players fined for hip-drop tackles; Ja’Marr Chase also faces a penalty
The four hip-drop tackle violations were double the number in Week 1.
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(This story has been updated to add new information.)
Ja’Marr Chase’s tantrum toward a referee last weekend exacted a heavy price.
The Cincinnati Bengals star receiver was fined $31,599 for verbally abusing a referee after his complaint to referee Alex Kemp during last Sunday’s showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs at NFL headquarters drew no mercy.
Chase was upset by what he viewed as an illegal hip-drop tackle by a Chiefs defender and received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the fourth quarter for apparently going too far in his remarks to Kemp.
Upon further review, the NFL found no evidence of an illegal hip-drop tackle against Chase during the Chiefs’ 26-25 win at Arrowhead Stadium.
However, the NFL found a hip drop rule violation in another high-profile case last weekend that sparked intense scrutiny of the new rule. Chicago Bears linebacker TJ Edwards was fined $16,883 for using the illegal tactic while tackling Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon, who was sidelined after suffering an ankle injury.
After the game, Mixon and Texans coach DeMeco Ryans categorically stated that the incident was a violation of the rules.
“The NFL and NFLPA made it a rule and a focus for a reason,” Mixon posted on X. “It’s time to follow up with action.”
Mixon was unable to practice all week due to his injury and was ruled out for Sunday’s clash of the undefeated teams when the Texans visit the Minnesota Vikings.
Three other players were also penalized for hip drop violations:
–Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton was fined $16,883. Bolton’s case late in the first quarter did not involve Chase. He was penalized for an open-field tackle on Cincinnati rookie tight end Erick All Jr.
–New York Jets linebacker CJ Mosley was fined $16,883 for a tackle on Tennessee Titans receiver Tyler Boyd.
–Los Angeles Rams defensive end Desjuan Johnson was fined $5,191 for bringing down Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson.
None of the cases that resulted in hip-drop penalties were called during the game, but the violations were discovered during the league’s review of each game. That’s what NFL officials suspected when the ban was passed last spring, but it hardly allays suspicions about possible violations in the heat of the moment.
The four hip drop violations were double the total number of violations in Week 1.
Two other notable fines involved blatant end zone celebrations: Atlanta Falcons receiver Drake London and New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr were both fined $14,069 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
London pretended to fire machine gun fire during his celebration. Carr imitated the legendary Michael Jackson, but crossed the boundaries with a sexually suggestive thrust of his hips during his brief demonstration.
