Kansas City Chiefs: Star Linebacker Headlines Group of Four Fined for Illegal Hip-Drop Tackle – Week 3

Star linebacker Nick Bolton will be on the hook for $16,883 after the NFL fined him for a hip drop tackle in last weekend’s win. Commissioner Roger Goodell and the league also fined C.J. Mosley, Desjuan Johnson, and T.J. Edwards for a hip drop tackle. Only Johnson received a fine of less than $16,883.

The 32 NFL clubs voted unanimously to remove the hip-drop tackle from the league this offseason. Per the NFL’s operations page, a hip-drop tackle is when a defender “rotates or swivels his hips, unweighting himself and dropping onto ball carrier’s legs during the tackle.” A hip-drop tackle will result in a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down. Last weekend, Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton performed a hip-drop tackle on Cincinnati Bengals pass-catcher Erick All, an action that did not warrant a flag in real-time. However, following the league’s week-long window to review film, Bolton got hit with a $16,883 fine for his hip-drop tackle last Sunday.