The NFL has reportedly determined that Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith performed an illegal hip-drop tackle that resulted in Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin suffering a dislocated ankle on Monday night.
Smith violated the rule and his name is expected to be included tomorrow on the list of players fined forWeek Seven, according to Mark Maske of the Washington Post.
The field officials did not mark Smith to fight the hip drill. The NFL Association opposed the change of the rules of this year.
Smith declined to say whether he had heard about the NFL fine, but said he respects Godwin and would never want a player to get hurt.
He noted that the fast pace of an NFL game makes it hard to tell if a player was injured in the NFL. If something was done, their tackle would violate the new ban on bouncing tackles.
It’s hard for the judges to know, too. But the league reviews every play and determined that on this one, Smith broke the rule.
