One of the big controversies of the offseason was the passing of a rule that outlawed the hip-drop tackle. It was deemed a dangerous play that posed an increased risk of injury to ball carriers. Defensive players had a field day at the passing of the rule, wondering how the heck they are supposed to do their jobs anymore. The NFL hasn’t enforced the rule very much during games, opting to levy fines instead. Today, the first hip-drop tackle penalty was imposed during a game.
The penalty involved two former Pittsburgh Steelers. It happened in the Carolina Panthers game against the Arizona Cardinals and former Steelers UDFA rookie Jacoby Windmon got penalized for using the illegal maneuver on former Steelers RB James Conner.