Insider explains why it might be difficult to outlaw tackle that injured Ravens All-Pro

The hip-drop tackle is under more scrutiny than ever, but despite cries to outlaw the technique, one NFL insider explained why that might be easier said than done.

On the latest episode of "The Insiders" on NFL Plus, Tom Pelissero first pointed out that deciphering what is and isn't a hip-drop tackle would be nearly impossible before adding that the league's increasing enforcement on hits near the head and neck area may have created the unfortunate mess in the first place. 

"The existence of the hip-drop tackle is in part a response to the NFL outlawing any contact with the helmet and the way they have strengthened the use of helmet rules in recent years," Pelissero said. 

In short, Pelissero argues that defenders have no choice but to adjust to the league's crackdown on high hits by going lower. However, others would say that the hip-drop method, which puts a player's lower body in an awkward position under a defender's body weight, is extreme and even dirty. 

The increased chatter over the topic comes after Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews was dragged to the ground with a hip-drop tackle by Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson on "Thursday Night Football," likely ending his season. After the game, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh asked if Wilson's tackle was "even necessary," which is fair considering Andrews suffered a fractured fibula and is presumably out for the remainder of the year barring a miraculous rehab and a deep playoff run for Baltimore.

Adding more fuel to the fire, Andrews' quarterback Lamar Jackson came up limp in the same game after a similar tackle. Jackson stayed in the game but isn't the only QB to suffer a scare. In Week 4, a hip-drop tackle by New York Giants safety Isaiah Simmons drew the ire of the Seattle Seahawks' Geno Smith, who said, "There's no place in this sport for that, and hopefully something happens." 

As Pelissero also pointed out, the NFL Players Association has vehemently opposed outlawing the tackle. However, its opinion may change considering recent events and data saying a player is 25 times more likely to be injured by a hip-drop tackle than a typical one.