During the offseason, the NFL decided to penalize the hip drop tackle to the frustration of several players around the NFL.
One of the players who doesn't like the rule change is Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen.
The 33-year-old two-time Pro Bowler believes that the latest rule change is hurting the game more than helping.
"To be honest with you, I think they’re starting to kind of ruin the game a little bit," Thielen said to Fox News Digital. "It takes away the great parts of this game – that you go out there, compete, and you tackle, and you take them to the ground, and you do whatever you got to do to get them on the ground. The defenders got to be able to play defense, too. So, it’s kind of a bummer, but at the end of the day, that’s not my job. My job is to go out there and do my job to the best of my ability."
Thielen, in his perspective on the rule change, said he thinks the NFL is making it harder for defenses to stop offenses moving forward.
The veteran wide receiver also indicated that he understands why the rule was changed – though he isn't a fan of it from a football fan perspective.
During the 2023 season, Thielen had a stellar season. He racked up 1,014 yards, 103 catches and four touchdowns.
He was one of Bryce Young's favorite targets, and without the hip-drop tackle, he may be better situated to have another great season in Charlotte.
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