Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon sustained an injury early in the third quarter during a tackle by Chicago Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards. Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans reviewed the footage of the incident and confirmed on Monday that it was an illegal hip drop tackle.
Ryans explained, “It definitely is considered a hip drop when a defender unweights himself and applies all his weight onto the runner’s legs. We aim to eliminate the hip drop tackle from the game due to the significant injuries it can cause. While hip drop tackles are rare, the likelihood of injury when they occur is notably high, as evidenced by Joe’s ankle injury. The defender fell onto his ankle, putting him in a difficult situation.”
Although Edwards was not penalized for the tackle, he is anticipated to receive a fine from the league this week. The NFL had previously fined two players for hip drop tackles in Week 1 that went without penalties.
Mixon was set to undergo an MRI for his injured ankle on Monday, but Ryans did not provide any updates regarding the injury’s severity. Despite returning to the game, Mixon played only seven additional snaps afterward.
Ryans stated, “We’ll monitor the injury closely throughout the week and will approach it day by day.”
Mixon did not address reporters after the game but took to social media to criticize the league for inconsistent enforcement of the rules. “The NFL and NFLPA established this rule and made it an emphasis for a reason,” Mixon wrote. “It’s time to follow through.”
Meanwhile, backup running back Dameon Pierce was sidelined with a hamstring issue during the game, leaving third-string running back Cam Akers to fumble the ball on a crucial goal line play late in the fourth quarter against the Bears.