The Las Vegas Raiders could be facing NFL punishment after Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyquan Thornton was carted off the field with a significant ankle injury. To be clear, the Raiders will not be punished because of the injury.
A debate is brewing over whether safety Treydan Stukes used a hip drop tackle (which is illegal) to bring down Thornton. The referees did not flag the play during the game, but the NFL can still review the tackle.
If the league believes Stukes used a hip drop tackle, the Raiders defender could face further punishment, likely in the form of a fine.
Players face a $17,911 fine for hip drop tackles unless it is a second offense which results in a $23,882 penalty. It is worth noting that Stukes did not appear to have a nefarious intent behind the tackle.
Yet, intent is not part of the equation when it comes to determining whether a play is classified as a hip drop tackle.
Here’s a look at the graphic play where Thornton sustained the injury.
NFL Faces Raiders Punishment Decision for Treydan Stukes’ Poential Hip Drop Tackle on Chiefs WR Tyquan Thornton
Hip drop tackles are one of the more confusing yet dangerous plays in football. The NFL recently banned the form of tackle ahead of the 2024 season.
“Per the NFL, a hip-drop tackle occurs when a defender ‘wraps up a ball carrier and rotates or swivels his hips, unweighting himself and dropping onto the ball carrier’s legs during the tackle,'” The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson detailed in a 2024 story titled, “Hip-drop tackles explained: What are they? Why are they banned? How are they penalized?”
“The league banned the hip-drop tackle in March, saying it causes lower-body injuries at a rate 20 times higher than other tackles.”
Chiefs WR Tyquan Thornton Appears to Have Sustained a Significant Injury vs. Raiders
Some sports doctors have chimed in on social media labeling the play as a hip drop tackle. Pro Football Talk’s Myles Simmons is among those who believes Thornton was injured on a hip drop tackle.
“Thornton caught a 55-yard pass down to the Las Vegas 5-yard line. But as he was tackled by safety Treydan Stukes, the defender landed on his ankle,” Simmons wrote on October 4.
“It appeared to be a hip-drop tackle. Thornton was then shown on the CBS broadcast with his left foot positioned in an unnatural manner.”
Tyquan Thornton Injury Update: Chiefs WR Sustained a Dislocated Ankle & Is ‘Out Indefinitely’
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Thornton sustained a dislocated ankle. The Chiefs have not revealed a potential return timeline, but Thornton was able to fly back with the team to Kansas City.
“Chiefs WR Tyquan Thornton suffered a dislocated ankle that was put back into place by doctors earlier today,” Rapoport detailed in an October 4, message on X. “He did make the plane with the team.
“Thornton will have a full evaluation in the morning, along with a second opinion. Out indefinitely, but in good spirits.”
Raiders Face Punishment Decision From NFL Amid Chiefs Tyquan Thornton’s Scary Injury