Bears fans get the vindication they were looking for after the NFL laid down the hammer over Colston Loveland tackle
The Chicago Bears are getting set for the start of the NFL regular season, but before turning the page, the league laid down the law on a few players for preseason violations.
Preseason is in the books for the NFL and now the page has turned to Week 1 of the regular season. In five days time, the Chicago Bears will open their season against the Carolina Panthers.
But, before fully closing the door on the preseason, we have to first discuss the slew of violation enforcements that were sent out by the league on Monday, including one that will finally help some Bears fan sleep better at night.
NFL hands out preseason fines, including one for the hip-drop tackle on Colston Loveland
The NFL handed out 30 fines on Monday for violations that occurred during the three weeks of preseason. And there were two that impacted the Bears in some capacity.
The most obvious violation was against Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Shaka Heyward, who clearly had a hip-drop tackle during the second preseason game on Chicago Bears starting tight end Colston Loveland.
Fans were absolutely livid after that play, especially after no flag was thrown by the officials. It’s a dangerous play and one that could have easily injured Loveland’s ankle, which is why the NFL is aiming to crack down on it.
It took some time, but Loveland and the Bears are finally getting some vindication after Heyward was fined $5,972 for the hip-drop tackle. Good on the NFL for recognizing that, but the officials need to be more aware of this kind of situation going forward.
Only one other fine from the preseason applied to the Bears, and again it was the other team committing the violation. During the preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns, Cleveland’s right tackle Tytus Howard had an obvious leg trip against Bears pass rusher Dayo Odeyingbo. This time, though, there was a 15-yard penalty called by the officials for the incident.
Howard was also fined a whopping $12,537 for the violation, the largest fine handed out during the entire preseason.
New rules to crack down on hip-drop violations, and other penalties, in 2026
Heading into the regular season, the NFL and the NFLPA have agreed to place a greater emphasis on five penalties, including the hip-drop tackle. The other four penalties are horse collar tackle, launching, hit on a defenseless player, and blindside block.
If a player commits three offenses in any one of these categories during the season, they will be suspended for one game. As it relates to the hip-drop tackle, the first offense fine is supposed to be $17,911 with the second offense fine being $23,882.
It’s also worth noting that only three hip-drop tackles were flagged during the game last season. Which reinforces my point that the officials need to do a better job enforcing those during the games, because a 15-yard penalty can win or lose football games. Not to mention the tackle method is a clear risk to players’ safety.
