The NFL is considering a major change after an injury to Dallas Cowboys star running back Tony Pollard in their Divisional Round loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
The injury occurred after Pollard was dragged down from behind by 49ers cornerback Jimmie Ward in the second quarter of last Sunday’s matchup, which caused his leg to get caught underneath Ward.
#Cowboys Tony Pollard – Video + being ruled out suggests moderate to severe high ankle
Tough injury for RBs. Avg = 4 wks
Initially see large performance dip (~20%) upon return
I’d be surprised if he plays even in a Super Bowl
Sorry, #CowboysNation
— Deepak Chona, MD. SportsMedAnalytics (@SportMDAnalysis) January 23, 2023
Pollard ultimately suffered a very severe injury on the play, fracturing his fibula along with a high-ankle sprain that saw him miss the remainder of the game.
This play was very similar to a play that also resulted in a high-ankle sprain for Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, which he miraculously battled through last weekend as well.
This did NOT look good for Patrick Mahomes. He's staying in, for now. 🏈 pic.twitter.com/O4Ym5YPSiR
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) January 21, 2023
According to Des Bieler and Mark Maske of The Washington Post, the league and its competition committee do plan to consider the “mechanics of the tackle in Pollard’s case” as part of their offseason discussions.
While the hits on both Patrick Mahomes and Tony Pollard were legal in the current ruleset of the NFL, this change would potentially make this type of hit subject to a potential personal foul call in the future similar to a horsecollar tackle moving forward.
The NFL world took notice of this potential rule change on Thursday and there were some very clear differing opinions from fans.
Some believed that this could certainly be a great change for the sport that could help star offensive players avoid serious lower-body injuries moving forward.
It’s mainly in the NFL’s interest to keep their best players on the field and score more points. So it makes sense.
— Reid Tamaranda (@GreatJawb) January 26, 2023
I told you all this was a dirty play. The "hip drop" tackling technique was also banned in Rugby for similar reasons. https://t.co/o2yJJMvSTF
— Stephen Reed (@NiceReedSteve) January 26, 2023
Others believe that this potential change will make it even tougher for defensive players and lead to some horrendous calls from officials similar to what we see with roughing the passer in the NFL.
Personal foul, tackling on the defense. 11 point penalty, first down. https://t.co/ZHiLrv4ouO
— Jon – I dont pay FF or your fees (@IrishHusker5) January 26, 2023
It will be almost impossible to play in the NFL Soon. https://t.co/i7yLgxtKeL
— Joshua Andersen (@ProMotoFanTalk) January 26, 2023
Ridiculous. Just don’t let defenders tackle anymore. Play two hand touch or flag. Defenders have too many things to think of when tacking now. We saw in one game where the 49ers and Cowboys both missed tackles because they were worried about getting flagged. https://t.co/xliB8y37cb
— Thomas Floral (@tomfloral) January 26, 2023
