Add Eagles safety Reed Blankenship to the list of NFL players who have been fined for the controversial hip-drop tackle this season.
Blankenship was hit with a $10,250 fine for a tackle on Chicago rookie running back Kyle Monangai during the Eagles’ 24-15 loss to the Bears on Black Friday at Lincoln Financial Field. He was not flagged on the play, which has usually been the case since the NFL competition committee made the hip-drop tackle illegal ahead of the 2024 season.
A season ago, the NFL fined 27 players for hip-drop tackles but the illegal play was only flagged once. That flag went against Carolina Panthers linebacker Jacoby Windmon, but it was later ruled by the league that he had not brought down Arizona running back James Conner in illegal fashion during a Week 16 game.
This season there have been a total of two penalties for hip-drop tackles and 26 fines.
Two other Eagles were fined for the illegal play earlier this season. Cornerback Jakorian Bennett was fined $23,186 for a hip-drop tackle late in the second quarter of the Eagles’ opening-night win over Dallas and edge rusher Jalyx Hunt was fined $6,834 for a third-quarter tackle of Bucky Irving in the Eagles’ Week 4 win at Tampa Bay.
The Hunt play resulted in a fumble was recovered by cornerback Kelee Ringo at the Tampa Bay 25-yard line. No flag was thrown and six plays later Saquon Barkley scored what proved to be the winning points in the Eagles’ 31-25 victory.
Bennett said he appealed his fine against the Cowboys, but it was not successful. Hunt said he did not appeal. It is not known if Blankenship will appeal.
The most notable hip-drop controversy came earlier this season when Washington linebacker was briefly suspended after being fined a third time for a hip-drop tackle. He appealed the suspension and was reinstated.
