Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin (14) is pressured by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) in the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

NFL reviewing play where Chris Godwin was injured

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated Oct 22, 2024 1:36 PM ET

Chris Godwin suffered a season-ending injury late in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night, and the player who delivered the hit could be facing a fine.

Godwin caught a pass for a significant gain with less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter of the Ravens’ 41-31 win over the Bucs at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. His left leg caught underneath him as Baltimore linebacker Roquan Smith made the tackle. You can see the play here.

Godwin's dislocated ankle required surgery. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the play will be reviewed to see if Smith used the hip-drop tackle technique, which was banned beginning this season.

The tackle that Chris Godwin was hurt on appears to have all the elements of a hip drop tackle. The play is now under review, per sources, and if it is officially determined to be a hip drop tackle, Ravens LB Roquan Smith would be subject to a fine.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 22, 2024

The NFL describes a hip-drop tackle as “when a defender wraps up a ball carrier and rotates or swivels his hips, unweighting himself and dropping onto ball carrier’s legs during the tackle.”

The hip-drop tackle has received increasing attention in recent years. Earlier in the season, Houston Texans star Joe Mixon expressed outrage over a similar tackle that left him with an ankle injury. Though, that play looked far more egregious than what Smith did.

Had Godwin not suffered a gruesome ankle injury, there is a good chance no one would have thought anything of Smith’s hit. However, because of the result, disciplinary action seems likely.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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