NFL announces controversial rules change that will likely lead to more suspensions

On Wednesday, the NFL and NFLPA announced several changes that will likely spark controversy, since they could result in player suspensions.

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.

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.