The NFL is making some major changes to its player-safety rules ahead of the 2026 season.
On Wednesday, the NFL and NFLPA announced several changes that will likely spark controversy, since they could result in player suspensions.
Going forward, players who commit three violations in any of these categories in a season will be suspended for one game:
- Hip-drop tackle
- Horse-collar tackle
- Launching
- Hit on a defenseless player
- Blindside block
The league is now placing greater emphasis on eliminating these fouls, which means we could see more calls this season. The hip-drop tackle in particular
is something that is still being worked on since the ban on them came in 2024, just two years ago, and it’s not something that’s been called much so far. That is likely changing this year, so we could not only see it flagged more often, but also see it lead to suspensions.
Now, all players will begin 2026 with a clean slate. That’s the good news.
Another controversial decision is that violations will carry over into future seasons. So a player could potentially commit, let’s say, two of these violations in 2026. Then, if said player commits another one in 2027, he could be suspended for a game.
So, what are your thoughts on these changes? Is a three-strikes-and-you’re-out approach the correct method for these types of infractions?
