Todd Bowles on hip-drop tackle ban: I think it’s great to get out of the game
The NFL took a step to improve player safety by banning the hip-drop tackle this spring.
While the NFLPA made its objections to the ban clear, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said in an interview with the Rich Eisen Show this week that he thinks it'll be a positive change.
“For us, it’s not going to be a big problem because we didn’t teach it to begin with, and we try not to do it, and we don’t condone it at all,” Bowles said. “I think it’s great to get out of the game. I think it just brings more awareness to when some people are trying to get down and I don't think it’ll be a problem for our team.
“Nobody tries to do it. Nobody wants to do it. I think it should be banned from the game. I think it just brings more awareness to it. But as far as we’re concerned, we don't teach it and we try not to do it at all.”
Bowles did present one scenario where the hip-drop ban may affect play.
“I think it’ll be interesting in the league if somebody's at the end of a ball game and someone’s trying to get out of bounds, and somebody runs a crossing route, and somebody’s chasing them from behind and tries to keep them in bounds,” Bowles said. “That will be very interesting.”
A former defensive coordinator, Bowles’ Buccaneers were No. 7 in points allowed and No. 23 in yards allowed in 2023.
