The rule against hip-drop tackles continues to be enforced by the league’s disciplinary department, but not by the officials on the field.
The NFL announced today that Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams was fined $17,389 for a hip-drop tackle in Week Three, and Raiders linebacker Devin White was fined $6,500 for a hip-drop tackle in Week Three. Neither player was flagged on the play.
Williams’ fine was for a tackle of Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving, while White’s was for a tackle of Commanders receiver Chris Moore.
Although the NFL banned hip-drop tackles in an effort to reduce injuries, the NFL Players Association opposed the move in large part because players believed the rule was not well defined enough for the players to know exactly what constitutes a hip-drop tackle. Given that they’re routinely spotted by the disciplinary department but not the officials on the field, it’s easy to see why the players think the rule is ill-defined.
Williams’ fine was presumably bigger because the league’s disciplinary office considered his hip-drop tackle more blatant. Williams was also fined an additional $11,593 for a facemask in the same game.
The Dolphins wrapped up their practice week without wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
Hill did not practice on Saturday for personal reasons. The wideout’s future with the Dolphins has been a talking point in the early weeks of the season, but multiple reports say that he is still expected to play against the Jets in Monday night’s meeting of 0-3 AFC East teams.
Hill scored his first touchdown in last week’s loss to the Bills. He had 15 catches for 198 yards over the first three weeks of the season.
The Dolphins also expect to have tight end Darren Waller in the lineup for the first time this season on Monday night.
Tight end Darren Waller joined the Dolphins in an offseason trade with the Giants, but he has yet to make an appearance for the team.
That is set to change on Monday night. Head coach Mike McDaniel said that Waller, who has been dealing with a hip injury, is going to play against the Jets. McDaniel said, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, that Waller “looks firmly ready to contribute.”
Waller last played in a regular season game in 2023. He retired ahead of the 2024 season and was dealt to the Dolphins when he reversed course and decided to return to the field.
McDaniel said that cornerbacks Storm Duck (ankle) and Jason Marshall (hamstring) are the only players that have been ruled out for the meeting of 0-3 teams in Miami.
Jets quarterback Justin Fields is good to go for Monday night in Miami.
Fields has cleared the concussion protocol and will start against the Dolphins, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said. Fields missed last week’s game and the Jets turned to backup Tyrod Taylor, but now that Fields is cleared he’s back in the starting lineup.
“Justin is playing,” Glenn said.
Glenn also announced that cornerback Jarvis Brownlee, who was recently acquired in a trade with the Titans, will miss the game with an ankle injury, and pass rusher Jermaine Johnson will also miss the game with an ankle injury.
Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield said he took a little extra pleasure in last Sunday’s win over the Jets because “their D-coordinator was the one that cut me in Carolina” during the 2022 season.
Steve Wilks is the defensive coordinator that Mayfield was referring to and he got a chance to respond during a press conference on Friday. Wilks became the interim head coach for the Panthers when they fired Matt Ruhle on October and he referenced another transaction the team made 10 days later when explaining that he wasn’t in charge of the roster while in the interim role.
“I don’t think an interim coach has much say over personnel,” Wilks said, via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. “If that were the case, I wouldn’t have gotten rid of our best player, Christian McCaffrey.”
Mayfield was injured the day before Ruhle was fired and he appeared in two games under Wilks before asking for and receiving his release because the team was going with P.J. Walker at quarterback. That and Wilks’ level of control add some context to the story, but the period obviously added to the chip on Mayfield’s shoulder and he’s put it to good use since getting to Tampa.
