Over the first five weeks of the NFL season, the Chicago Bears defence has been strong, performing as one of the top-10 defences in the league, or close to it.
But some players in the league don’t agree with the way Chicago has sometimes handled that aspect of the game. This week, Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon, who has been out since Week 2 due to an ankle injury sustained in a hip-drop tackle, again criticised linebacker and defensive captain T.J. Edwards.
On Thursday, October 10, Mixon told the media, “I was the No. 1 leader in rushing, I was stopped because of that weak *** hip-drop tackle,” according to ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime. “There is nothing I can do about that. It’s annoying, but that’s life. More than anyone else, I want to be seen in public. The Texans won 19–13 in that game, and although the officials in that game did not penalise Edwards for his tackle technique, the NFL fined the Bears linebacker $16,883 after additional investigation.
Joe Mixon Blasted the NFL for Not Fining T.J. Edwards More Severely Mixon contended on Thursday that the fine imposed by the league on Edwards was insufficiently harsh.
“Players are getting fined $16,000 for illegal hip-drop tackles, which should be taken out of the game and should be an emphasis,” Mixon stated. Thus, it’s clear that the current situation doesn’t align with the priorities.
Although it is annoying to observe, this is the reality. We must have integrity for the game when it comes to it if we are to discuss how to play it correctly.
Prior to being hampered by an ankle injury, Mixon had nine attempts for 25 yards versus Chicago and had 159 rushing yards and a touchdown in Week 1.
Before collapsing, he also made six catches for 44 yards in his two games. The 28-year-old running back for the Texans, who joined the team this season after playing for the Cincinnati Bengals for seven successful seasons, stated on Thursday that he is not sure if he will play against the New England Patriots in Week 6.
There Is No Record of T.J. Edwards Being a Dirty Player in the NFL
The 28-year-old Edwards, a six-year NFL veteran, signed with the Bears prior to the 2023 season, having played his first four seasons as a professional with the Philadelphia Eagles. He’s in Chicago for the second season of a three-year, $19.5 million contract.
The linebacker doesn’t have a reputation for being a dirty player, and even though the NFL decided that he committed a hip-drop tackle against Mixon, the league had never punished the play in its history with a fine or penalty until this season.
As such, it could take some time for players to break free from this old tackling habit and develop new ones.
After starting every game for the Bears in 2023, Edwards has started all five this season. This year, he has recovered a fumble and racked up 40 tackles, including 3 tackles for loss.
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