Most NFL fans would agree the Kansas City Chiefs are on the favorable end of many, perhaps too many, calls each and every week. For example, an incidental helmet contact by Houston Texans EDGE Will Anderson Jr. against QB Patrick Mahomes II elicited a roughing the passer penalty early in the game. Fans were justifiably frustrated the penalty couldn’t be “picked up” or overturned.

At the beginning of the 2024 NFL season, much was made about the league instituting penalties for hip-drop tackles.

During Sunday’s divisional-round matchup, Chiefs safety Bryan Cook brought down Texans tight end Dalton Schultz by what looked like a very clear, textbook example of a hip-drop tackle, yet no penalty was called.

Despite the league’s stated desire to remove the technique from the game, no hip-drop tackle penalties were called until Week 16 when Carolina Panthers linebacker Jacoby Windmon was flagged for a hip-drop tackle against Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner.

Although in-game penalties remain uncommon, the league has fined players for hip-drop tackles regularly.

Texans TE Dalton Schultz before the hip-drop tackle by Chiefs S Bryan Cook

© Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Through the wild-card round, there have been 25 fines for unnecessary roughness (hip-drop tackle) per the NFL’s gameday accountability page, which tracks every fine by week.

After Schultz’s 34-yard gain, a 15-yard penalty would have put the Texans at the Chiefs’ 20-yard line. Instead, Houston’s drive stalled, and they settled for a Ka’imi Fairbairn 30-yard field goal, equalizing the score 3-3 with 8:41 remaining in the first quarter.