NFL players aren't happy about a new rule regarding the proposed ban on hip-drop tackles, even though several players were left games last season due to injuries caused by this type of tackle. Kevin Mawae, former center for the
New York Jets and union President, has been quite vocal in his criticism of how the NFL handles safety concerns in football. He's previously said the NFL chiefs should "take their skirt off" regarding risks in professional football. However, the NFL's head of operations, Troy Vincent , believes players often resist necessary changes, especially ones that eliminate dangerous game plays. He thinks previous rule changes have improved the game in the long run. "There's always going to be resistance from the player when you talk about removing things, and I respect that," said Vincent. "There was resistance to removing the blindside block, the crackback block, and the attack block." "There was resistance removing the horse collar. Again, I mentioned it earlier in the opening: durability and availability is the number one and two aspect for any professional athlete and particularly with
Football players," he continued. "I have a technique that causes 20 to 25-percent injury rate when it occurs. I respect their position but as gatekeepers of the game. This is something that we have to remove." READ MORE: Saquon Barkley risks wrath of New York Giants fans after
Philadelphia Eagles move READ MORE: Kansas City Chiefs to trade L'Jarius Sneed to Tennessee Titans with star set for huge new contract Vincent shared how the NFL is working to make the game safer for players. He said they're not trying to give out more penalties, but they want to look at dangerous ways of playing. He also discussed the importance of former players like Ronnie Lott and Curtis Martin in helping keep players safe from harm. Vincent said that various types of defensive plays can cause many injuries, and the league wants to be proactive and not ignore potential risks and dangers. In a hip-drop tackle, the player defending usually comes from behind, or the side wraps their arms around the player with the ball, drops down, and then lands on the other player's legs. If executed recklessly, this technique can hurt the player being tackled. An NFL boss previously said a hip-drop tackle is 25 times more likely to cause an injury than a normal tackle. Tyreek Hill (10) comes up injured after a hip drop tackle by Tennessee Titans cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting ( Image: Getty) This method of tackling has injured several players this season, including Mark Andrews from the Baltimore Ravens and Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks . Tyreek Hill from the Miami Dolphins was also injured when he was tackled this way during a game against the Tennessee Titans . He landed full force on his leg and hurt his ankle, making it hard for him to move for the rest of the game. Ryan Clark, the union representative for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2006 to 2013, spoke out. He said the league tried to make players who delivered hard hits look bad, especially James Harrison. Over his career, Harripaid paid about £170,000 [$225,000] in fines. Six out of nine of these fines were for late or illegal hits on other players during games. * An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.