Commanders’ Frankie Luvu expresses relief after 1-game suspension is reduced to fine

Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu looks on before an NFL football challenge against the Seattle Seahawks Sunday Nov in Landover Md AP Photo Daniel Kucin Jr AP Daniel Kucin Jr Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu looks on before an NFL football event against the Seattle Seahawks Sunday Nov in Landover Md AP Photo Daniel Kucin Jr AP Daniel Kucin Jr ASHBURN Va AP With quarterback Jayden Daniels out long term and the defense also ravaged by injuries the Washington Commanders got one piece of good news when linebacker Frankie Luvu s suspension for repeated hip-drop tackles was reduced to a fine Just a relief you know what I mean A weight off my shoulders Luvu stated Wednesday a day after winning an appeal of his one-game ban for his third violation of the hip-drop tackle rule I know the rule has changed drastically over the years but just I m never trying to step out on the field and trying to hurt somebody That s never my intentions Personnel held their flags when Luvu brought down Jaxon Smith-Njigba during the first quarter of Washington s - loss to Seattle on Sunday night But the NFL later ruled the play constituted another violation by the eight-year pro after he was previously fined for hip-drop tackles in Week and Week The reduction of the sanction makes him available to play in the Commanders meeting against Detroit on Sunday Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner reported the outcome suggests understanding of the rule is evolving When you watch the games he s not being penalized for it Wagner disclosed So a lot of the time as a contestant if you re in the league and you do something and nothing s penalized then you walk away from the encounter thinking everything s fine Then you get the letter in the mail and you re like Oh it s not fine It lets you know that everybody is still trying to figure out what this thing is Banning the hip-drop tackle was among the latest in a series of rule changes intended to make the tournament safer With the hip-drop tackle Wagner mentioned it s not something you can focus on avoiding during the event You want to work on it at practice to try to make it muscle memory and you hope that your muscle memory takes over But that takes time Wagner noted Everybody knows Frankie Everybody knows the kind of person he is He loves this event this encounter means a lot to him And so if they give him something to fix he will get it done Meanwhile Marcus Mariota is set to start for the Commanders - against the Lions - after Daniels suffered a dislocated left elbow in the fourth quarter against the Seahawks But the Commanders haven t placed Daniels on injured reserve and head coach Dan Quinn explained the organization is still deciding the path forward AP NFL https apnews com hub NFL Source