TAMPA, Fla. — Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Roquan Smith has been fined after the NFL ruled Friday that he used a hip-drop tackle on Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Chris Godwin on Monday night, a source told ESPN.
Smith's tackle on Godwin with 1:04 remaining in regulation resulted in the receiver suffering a dislocated left ankle. Smith, who can be seen on the play pulling on Godwin's left leg, will get a league-mandated fine of $16,833, a source said.
Smith can appeal the ruling.
The source also said Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield will not be disciplined for using Zyn — a smoke-free nicotine pouch — on the sideline during the game, which television cameras picked up.
The NFL prohibits the use of tobacco-related products on the field and during interviews. The source said Mayfield would receive a letter reminding him that he should not be using the product on the sideline, and he could be subject to a fine if it happens again.
The NFL defines a hip-drop tackle taking place when a defender «grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms,» and «unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner's leg(s) at or below the knee.»
The rulebook also states any play using this technique would be assessed a 15-yard penalty with the opposing team granted an automatic first down, but that didn't happen in the Ravens' 41-31 victory.
In March, NFL clubs voted unanimously to ban hip-drop tackles. The league reviewed 20,000 tackles from 2022-2023 and determined that hip-drop tackles cause lower extremity injuries at a rate 20 times higher than other tackles.
Godwin, who leads the NFL with 50 catches through the first seven weeks of the regular season,
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