Running back Tony Pollard of the Dallas Cowboys suffered a fractured fibula in the Divisional Round loss to the San Francisco 49ers and has already undergone surgery. The “hip drop” tackle leading to the injury could lead to a rule change next season to protect the players.

The injury to running back Tony Pollard in the Divisional Round of the playoffs could result in a rule change this offseason.

According to the Washington Post, the NFL’s Competition Committee will almost certainly discuss the mechanics of 49ers safety Jimmy Ward’s so-called “hip drop” tackle on Pollard at a postseason meeting.

Ward brought Pollard down by wrapping his arms around the running back’s waist and then throwing himself to the ground with his entire body weight. In doing so, he stopped Pollard’s run but fell on his leg at the same time.

Pollard suffered a fractured fibula and sprained ankle in said incident. The Cowboys star underwent surgery shortly after the loss.

Pollard injury: Mahomes is lucky

Pollard’s injury occurred just a day after Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was similarly tackled and suffered a sprained upper ankle.

Fortunately for Mahomes and the Chiefs, the former MVP is still expected to play in the AFC Championship Game against the Cincinnati Bengals and a possible Super Bowl, as the Chiefs said he returned to full team practice on Wednesday.

NFL: Competition Committee puts focus on player protection

In recent years, the NFL and its governing bodies have tried to find ways to better protect players.

In this regard, the league has already banned horse collar tackles and focused on preventing tackles that can cause head injuries. Any (also unintentional) collisions (“helmet to helmet”) are sharply sanctioned by the referees during the game.

At the same time, however, the adapted rules have made it more and more difficult for the defenses and have forced them to rethink their tackle behaviour.

In order for new rules to be established or adapted, they must be passed by the 32 owners of the league. If submitted to the Competition Committee, at least 24 owners would then have to vote in favour of a rule change.