The league said Luvu was disciplined for a hip-drop tackle during the first quarter of Washington’s game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. According to the announcement, the play violated Rule 12, Section 2, Article 18 (a)(b), which deems it a foul when a defender (a) “grabs the runner with one or 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/or trapping the runner’s leg(s) at or below the knee.”
The league noted it was Luvu’s third hip-drop tackle of the season, following earlier incidents that resulted in fines in Week 4 and Week 8. Hip-drop tackles have drawn heightened scrutiny because of the risk of lower-leg injuries to ball carriers.
Luvu will miss Washington’s Nov. 9 game against the Detroit Lions and is eligible to return to the active roster Monday, Nov. 10, the league said. The Commanders, who have leaned on Luvu’s versatility in the second level of their defense, now face a short-term depth challenge as they prepare for Detroit.
Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Luvu may appeal the suspension. Any appeal would be heard by one of the jointly appointed and compensated hearing officers — Derrick Brooks, Ramon Foster, or Jordy Nelson — who decide cases involving on-field discipline for players.
The NFL said the action stems from its continued emphasis on enforcing health-and-safety provisions, including restricting tackle techniques deemed to pose an unreasonable risk to opponents. A suspension without pay means Luvu will forfeit one game check while serving the penalty.
The league announced no additional discipline for other players related to Sunday’s game. The Commanders did not immediately release a statement on the suspension, but Luvu is expected to appeal.
Conor Forrest is the Editor-in-Chief and Senior Commanders Insider for SportsJourney.com. As a graduate of George Mason University, Forrest has spent the last eight years sharing his love for sports with listeners and viewers in the DC area and around the world. He hosts the “After Further Review Podcast” and has held numerous on-air and writing roles covering the DC area sports, Division 1 Basketball, and the NFL. His work has been featured on outlets like NBC Sports Washington, Fansided.com, Heavy.com and The Fourth Estate.
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