Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu won’t be suspended for repeated violations of the rule against hip-drop tackles, the NFL announced Tuesday night.
Luvu had appealed a ruling that he would be suspended one game, costing him a game check worth $508,333.
Derrick Brooks, jointly appointed by the NFL and the NFLPA, heard the appeal. Luvu was instead fined $100,000.
Luvu will play vs. Detroit on Sunday. The Commanders (3-6) have lost four consecutive games.
The NFL ruled that Luvu violated the policy again in Sunday night’s 38-14 loss to Seattle while making a tackle in the first quarter vs. receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
It was Luvu’s third time being fined for a hip-drop tackle, leading him to become the first player suspended under this rule before he successfully appealed the ruling. He was fined for violating the policy after Weeks 4 and 8.
Luvu was fined $23,186 for his Week 4 violation and another $46,372 after Week 8.
According to a news release from the NFL, the league cited Luvu for violating a rule intended to “protect the health and safety of players.” The rule states that it’s a violation if a player uses a technique to tackle a player in which he “grabs the runner with one or both hands or wraps the runner with both arms; and unweights himself by swiveling or dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and/or trapping the runner’s leg(s) at or below the knee.”
Washington’s defense could ill afford more losses, even if for just one game.
Starting corner Marshon Lattimore sustained a season-ending torn ACL vs. the Seahawks and was placed on injured reserve. Three other defensive starters are also on injured reserve: ends Deatrich Wise Jr. and Dorance Armstrong and safety Will Harris.
