Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu has been suspended without pay for one game due to repeated violations of playing rules that protect the safety and health of players, the NFL announced Monday evening.
Luvu was sighted for a hip-drop tackle during Washington’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night, his third hip-drop infraction of the season. The Commanders veteran intends to appeal the suspension, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported. If Luvu's suspension is upheld, he will be docked his $508,333 game check.
“During the first quarter of the Seattle-Washington game, Luvu violated Rule 12, Section 2, Article 18 (a)(b), which states that: ‘It is a foul if a player uses the following technique to bring a runner to the ground: (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 statement read, in part.
Luvu was previously fined for Week 4 and Week 8 hip-drop tackles.
Pending his appeal, Luvu is now set to miss the Commanders’ Week 10 game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
Luvu, 29, is in his eighth NFL season and second with the Commanders. Through nine starts, he’s posted 50 tackles, two sacks and four tackles for loss.
News of Luvu’s suspension comes on a tumultuous day for Washington in which it was reported cornerback Marshon Lattimore suffered a torn ACL, wide receiver Luke McCaffrey broke his collarbone and quarterback Jayden Daniels dislocated his elbow in Sunday’s game.