NFL Clears Raiders' Stukes of Fine in Tyquan Thornton Injury

The NFL has determined that Las Vegas Raiders safety Treydan Stukes will not face a fine for the tackle that resulted in a severe ankle injury to Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyquan Thornton. The incident occurred during last week's Sunday Night Football game.

Stukes tackled Thornton from behind near the goal line. As Thornton attempted to get up, his left ankle was visibly dislocated, leading to him being carted off the field. The nature of the tackle led many observers to believe it could be classified as a hip-drop, a type of tackle the league has sought to penalize to prevent injuries.

However, after reviewing the play, league officials concluded that Stukes' action did not meet the criteria for a hip-drop tackle. According to the NFL's definition, a hip-drop tackle involves a defender wrapping up a ball carrier, rotating or swiveling their hips to unweight themselves, and then dropping onto the ball carrier's legs during the tackle. Officials are instructed to consider whether the defender grabs the runner with both hands or arms, and then unweights themselves by swiveling and dropping their hips, landing on and trapping the runner's leg(s) at or below the knee.

Despite the league's decision, some fans expressed disbelief on social media. Comments suggested that the tackle appeared to be a clear example of a hip-drop and that Stukes should have been fined. "If this isn’t a hip drop then nobody should get fined for one all year," one user posted. Another commented, "that is an absolutely blatant hip drop tackle."

Thornton is expected to miss 12 to 16 weeks following surgery for a fracture-dislocation of his left ankle. He posted an optimistic message on Instagram, stating, "You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step!" He also shared on X, "Love this team! 4-0 baby! I'll be back stronger & better #ChiefsKingdom."

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce addressed Thornton's injury on his podcast, expressing sympathy for his teammate. "Everybody loves Tyquan," Kelce said. "The guy just shows up every single day with his construction hat on ready to go to f--kin' work, ready to put in the time and the effort that's needed to have the success that he's having."

Kelce acknowledged Thornton's significant contributions to the Chiefs' 4-0 start to the season and his growing trust with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. "And he's finally starting to... you know, we're 4-0, he's playing unbelievably. He's got Pat Mahomes' trust. He's got the coaches' trust. And then to have something like this happen on such a big play in the game, it sucks," Kelce added. He expressed hope for Thornton's return if the team makes the playoffs.