A Miami Dolphins standout rookie is one third of his way to a suspension thanks to a new rule in 2026
Thanks to a new rule this season, players can catch a one-game suspension on a three-strike policy for dangerous plays.
Week 1 was a tough one for the Miami Dolphins, who lost to the Las Vegas Raiders 27-13 in Las Vegas. One of the silver linings was all of the playing time for Miami’s rookie draft class.
But one of those rookies just got hit with his own double-whammy from last Sunday. First-round rookie Chris Johnson has been tagged with a five-figure fine for one play against the Raiders. And, thanks to a new rule, has one of three strikes needed to catch a one-game suspension. The NFL has deemed his used a hip-drop tackle on Ashton Jeanty in the third quarter. Here’s the play.
Miami Dolphins rookie defender Chris Johnson fined over $17k, has one strike towards a suspension for alleged hip-drop tackle
Ohhhhhhhh I dunno. If I were Chris Johnson, I’d be filing an appeal of this judgement expeditiously. Faster than expeditiously, even. The letter of the law of defining a hip-drop tackle requires three elements:
- Wrapping the ball carrier
- Swiveling the hips to the side or behind the ball carrier
- Dropping body weight onto the legs of the runner
The interpretation of everything after wrapping up Jeanty, in my opinion, requires a pretty egregious assumption of malicious intent on Johnson’s part to see a foul. Jeanty has an angle, and his momentum upon the wrap-up swings Johnson behind him. I don’t necessarily see any conscious effort by Johnson to swing his hips or de-leverage his weight. And the cumulative collision drops the bodies to the ground, it’s not as though Johnson peels Jeanty back and falls on his legs.
I don’t see a penalty here (there wasn’t one called, by the way). I don’t see a malicious play and I don’t see the finish of a dangerous tackle that needs to be eliminated from the game. Johnson is, for the record, free to appeal this penalty — which hits him with a heavy fine of nearly $18,000.
Johnson now has one strike towards a one-game suspension thanks to a new rule
The strike towards suspension hurts, too. Thanks to a new rule this year, players that accumulate three strikes on certain fouls throughout the season will be subject to a one-game suspension. The punishable plays include hip-drop tackles. It also includes horse-collar tackles, launching, blindside blocks, and hits on defenseless players.
So Johnson’s rookie debut sees him $18,000 lighter in the pocket book and holding one strike towards a suspension. All on what certainly feels like an unassuming play. Fire up the appeal.
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