Las Vegas Raiders defensive back Treydan Stukes gave up a game-changing deep pass to Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyquan Thornton on Sunday, and will likely have to pay for the hit that injured the veteran pass-catcher.
Stukes pulled Thornton down from behind after a 55-yard pass from Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, leading the receiver to suffer a gruesome ankle injury. Replay showed an apparent dislocated ankle, with Thornton unable to stand under his own weight.
But replay also showed what appeared to be an illegal tackle by Stukes, which will likely lead to a fine later in the week.
Raiders DB Used Illegal Tackle on Tyquan Thornton
Several analysts noted that Stukes appeared to use an illegal hip-drop tackle to bring down Thornton from behind.
“That’s why they banned hip-drop tackles,” noted Kansas City radio reporter Jonathan Wier in a post on X. “God I’m so angry.”
The NFL banned the hip-drop tackle in 2024, noting that it was especially dangerous for ball carriers. The league defines a hip-drop tackle as one where a tackling player: “(a) grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms; and (b) unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner’s leg(s) at or below the knee.”
Troy Vincent, the league’s executive vice president of football operations, said at the time that the league was trying to get the dangerous play out of the game.
“The greatest asset for any athlete is durability and availability,” Vincent said. “When you have a play that has a 20-25 times the injury rate, it doesn’t allow you to fulfill your dreams.”
Raiders DB Faces Five-Figure Penalty
If the league determines that Stukes committed a hip-drop tackle, he would be in line for a significant punishment. The NFL mandates that players receive a fine of $17,911 for a first-time offense and $23,882 for a second offense.
Raiders DB Faces NFL Punishment for Hit That Injured Chiefs WR Tyquan Thornton