Pat McAfee has become one of the prominent voices when it comes to NFL coverage, as he has developed sources everywhere.
One of the biggest stories to come out of Week 9 was that Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu had been suspended for a game after multiple instances of the hip-drop tackle.
However, that suspension was overturned by Derrick Brooks, who is the hearing office for the NFL. Luvu will be eligible to play against the Detroit Lions this week, but his punishment was changed to a $100,000 fine.
While Commanders’ fans may be happy with that decison, McAfee announced on his show that the NFL isn’t pleased that it was overturned.
“The NFL I guess, is not necessarily thrilled that was lifted from a one-game suspension, because they would like this completely out of the game,” McAfee said. “They think precedent has to be set. I assume that Derrick Brooks said $100,000 is a lot of money, and Frankie Luvu will change how he tackles. It is an interesting dynamic of what they are trying to make the game, and what they are trying not to make the game.”
The hip-drop tackle ban was voted by the league in March of 2024, with every team voting to ban it. One of the biggest issues the league has had with this rule is that it hasn’t been getting called during the game.
Luvu has been fined three different occasions for this type of tackle in the last calendar year, but he hasn’t had a penalty called on him on any of the three plays.
The fact that the NFL and the hearing officer are not on the same page for what a punishment should be on this play only adds to how hard it is to officiate this play.
Having Luvu back is huge for the Commanders this week, as they have a tough home game against the Detroit Lions. Off all the teams in the NFL, the Commanders are dealing with as many injuries as any team. Just last week, Jayden Daniels, Luke McCaffrey and Marshon Lattimore all suffered serious injuries in the loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
As McAfee said, a $100,000 fine is still a big punishment for Luvu. However, until the league itself can get on the same page with this rule, there is still going to be confusion about it on Sundays.
