This is what the NFL wants.
Ward is 5’10” 200, Gronk is 6’6′ 265, if he goes high he probably gets flagged or Gronk runs over him, so he went low and unfortunately in the process he blew out Gronk’s knee.
It was a clean hit and a hit that has been encouraged by the NFL. Here is what Ward had to say.
“I closed on the pass, it was a decision I made just to make a tackle on a big man,” Ward said. “Unfortunately he got hurt, but if I were to hit him up high, there’s a chance I would’ve got fined . . . I’m just being safe.”
“I’ve been fined three times,” he said. “And I don’t like playing for free. You can ask anybody in this league if they like playing for free. No. Repeat offenders, they starting to suspend people for the year. I can’t risk that. I won’t risk that. I gotta play within the rules. Point blank.”
“My intention is to never hurt anyone,” Ward explained. “That’s not what this game is about, that’s not how I play. I hate to see guys go down with any type of injury. I just wanted him to know — whether he accepted it or not — it wasn’t an intentional hit to injure him. But we have to play this game, we have to play it the way that they force us to. Unfortunately it occurred in an injury for him.”
I 100% agree with Ward.