Ravens’ Mark Andrews is in ‘full support’ of NFL’s move to penalize hip-drop tackles after injury

The NFL has decided to penalize the hip-drop tackles in late March during NFL owners' meeting.

Ravens’ Mark Andrews is in ‘full support’ of NFL’s move to penalize hip-drop tackles after injury

Mark Andrews (Via Imago)

It appears the NFL has the full support of Mark Andrews in their move to penalize hip-drop tackles. The Baltimore Ravens tight end suffered a serious ankle injury caused by the hip-drop tackle– causing him to even miss two months including the playoffs games except one. 

It happened in week 11 of last season when the Ravens faced off against the Cincinnati Bengals. Tight end Andrews was hit and pulled on the ground by the Bengals’ LB Logan Wilson, which was believed to be a hip-drop tackle. If the NFL had introduced the penalizing rules back earlier, that game would been considered a foul. 

After suffering damage from a fractured fibula and ligament, Andrews had to undergo surgery and has recovered now. While talking to reporters on Tuesday, the star tight end opened up about how happy he is over the NFL’s decision to penalize the play. 

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Taking that tackle out of the game is not a bad thing. I think defenses can find a way to get around that. . . . I’m always an advocate for making the game safer. You look at the last five years, there’s been a lot of big injuries with that. So just bringing the awareness to that type of tackle, I think is good.
Mark Andrews said via Jamison Hensley of ESPN

The decision to penalize the hip-drop tackles took place in late March during NFL owners’ meeting, where they unanimously voted in favor of removing the play. If violated, the respective team would have to face a 15-yard penalty. 

Mark Andrews ready for explosive comeback in Ravens’ upcoming season

When Andrews suffered the injury, the Ravens thought it would be a season-ending injury and replaced him with Isaiah Likely. Fortunately, the tight end had a speedy recovery and was able to return for the AFC championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs. In the 17-10 loss that got the Ravens eliminated, Andrews caught two passes for 15 yards. 

Ravens TE Mark Andrews
Ravens TE Mark Andrews (Via Imago)
Obviously, I wasn't full 100 percent in that game, but I worked really hard to get to that point. It set me up for a really good offseason to work hard. 
Mark Andrews added

He further admitted that, after that loss and his injury, he has been active throughout the offseason, running “tons of routes.” As he prepares for the upcoming season with the first matchup being a rematch of the AFC championship game, Andrews feels more fast and explosive as he says. 

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