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NFL suspends Commanders LB Frankie Luvu for repeated health and safety violations

Meby: Nick Geddes11/04/25NickGeddesNews
Frankie Luvu
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The NFL on Monday suspended Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu one game without pay for “repeated violations of playing rules intended to protect the health and safety of players.” According to NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy, Luvu violated the league’s hip-drop tackle rule in the first quarter of Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.

“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’s statement read, in part.

Luvu was previously fined for hip-drop tackles in Week 4 and in Week 8. He plans to appeal the suspension, the first for hip-drop tackles since the NFL outlawed it a couple of years ago.

For now, Luvu is to miss this Sunday’s Week 10 home game against the Detroit Lions. He is eligible to return for the Week 11 home tilt against the Miami Dolphins.

Commanders get bad news on status of Frankie Luvu for Week 10 vs. Lions

Luvu, 29, is one of the leaders of Washington’s defense. He’s played in all nine games this season, compiling 50 tackles (25 solo), four tackles for loss, two sacks and two PBUs. Luvu is in the second year of a three-year, $31 million deal he signed with the Commanders in March 2024.

The hits keep coming for the Commanders, who dropped their fourth consecutive game Sunday. Quarterback Jayden Daniels dislocated his elbow in the 38-14 defeat to the Seahawks. Cornerback Marshon Lattimore suffered a torn ACL and wide receiver Luke McCaffrey broke his collarbone.