EAGAN, Minn. — After months of attacks and two attempted bans, the tush push will reportedly survive into the 2025 NFL season.
The NFL debated Wednesday morning against an amended proposal from the Green Bay Packers that would have functionally eliminated the Philadelphia Eagles’ signature quarterback sneak play that helped them to their title of reigning Super Bowl champions.
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Initially, the Packers proposed restricting any offensive player from “immediately at the snap, push or throw his body against a teammate, who was lined up directly behind the snapper and received the snap, to aid him in an attempt to gain yardage.”
When that failed to pass in early April, the Packers aligned language more closely with a pre-2005 policy that banned players from pushing or pulling a runner, or lifting a runner to their feet. The only remaining legal physical aid to the runner would have been “individually blocking opponents for him.”
The Eagles and Buffalo Bills ran the tush-push play more over the last three seasons than the other 30 teams combined, per ESPN data. Their 87% success rate bested the rest of the league’s 71% average.
They would have been most impacted. And yet, some in the league wondered if a ban would even meaningfully impact quarterback Jalen Hurts’ attack.
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“Teams are gonna get the sneak regardless of the push,” one source familiar with the debate said. “Even when you watch the play, sometimes the pusher doesn’t even get to make contact with Hurts.
“Other times he does, but it’s after the first down was reached.”
The proposal needed at least 24 of 32 clubs’ affirmative votes to pass.
Former Eagles center Jason Kelce addressed league execs and team owners in Wednesday’s meeting, presumably to defend the play.
This developing story will be updated.
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