NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters on Wednesday at the conclusion of the December League Meeting in Irving, Texas, that he would prefer to see the hip-drop tackle eliminated.
"Hip drop, I would tell you, I think we all should work to get that out of the game," Goodell said. "You see it escalated in the number of times it occurred this season. The injury can be very devastating. We saw that also. It's not just happening at the NFL level. It's also happening at other levels. (It's) something I feel like we've got to work very hard to get that removed this spring."
NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent echoed Goodell's stance when addressing the media earlier Wednesday.
"I think we have to now," Vincent said of removing the hip-drop tackle.
"I think a year ago when we actually brought the hip-drop or the version of the tackle that we were seeing on the video, there were some clips that we had no clue what we were talking about. In their mind, never saw it before, don't teach it. Others were not actually teaching a version of it with the intent of injuring a player, but versions of the tackle. All of this is in that family of when we saw the hawk tackle and people adjusting to getting the head out of the game.
"One thing that we can do today is define what that is. It is the grip, it's the rotate and it's the drop. Those three mechanics show up on that play."
The hip-drop tackle has become a topic of conversation as of late due to injuries caused by the style of takedown. On Monday night, Miami Dolphins superstar receiver Tyreek Hill suffered an ankle injury when he was tackled in a hip-drop style, missing nearly two full quarters of action before deciding to play through the pain in the second half of Miami's eventual loss to the Tennessee Titans. In the college ranks, Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis suffered a broken leg as a result of a hip-drop tackle, ending his season and eventually leading to a controversial snub of the Seminoles by the College Football Playoff selection committee.
The NFL has already gone out of its way to eliminate other forms of contact in the best interest of player safety. Horse-collar tackles were outlawed after receiver Terrell Owens suffered a broken ankle when he was brought down by the rear collar of his shoulder pads late in the 2004 season, and the NFL has made a continued effort to take the head out of the game, penalizing players for initiating contact with their helmet.
The hip-drop tackle could be next.
"It's a gruesome play," Vincent told reporters on Wednesday.