In a striking rejection of overreaching safety concerns, NFL owners said no to the “tush push” ban, standing firm against the NFL’s increasingly safety-obsessed bureaucracy.
The vote ended 22-10 in favor of keeping the play legal, a rare victory for football tradition in an era when league officials seem determined to soften America’s toughest sport.
The Green Bay Packers’ proposal would have prohibited offensive players from pushing or pulling a runner in any direction, effectively eliminating the Eagles’ signature short-yardage tactic.
The ban needed 24 votes to pass, but fell short as team owners decided not to fix what is not broken.
The Philadelphia Eagles, who have mastered the play with quarterback Jalen Hurts, even brought former center Jason Kelce to the meetings to advocate for keeping the play legal.
The Eagles organization made its stance clear after the vote with a simple social media message: “Push on.”
The attempted rule change represents yet another example of the league trying to micromanage the game.
Despite claims about player safety, there is actually no evidence that the play is dangerous.
Rich McKay, the chair of the NFL Competition Committee, admitted there was a lack of data on the play’s safety and no reported injuries.
“I think this is something that needs to be discussed and we need to be proactive about it rather than reactive,” Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst said.
This sentiment from Gutekunst reveals the increasingly cautious mentality infiltrating professional football.
The Packers’ proposal would have penalized teams for a maneuver that has been part of football strategy for decades, just dressed up with a new name.
In addition, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni defended his team’s success with the play, responding to critics who suggested it was too automatic.
“I can’t tell you how many times we practiced the snap, we practiced the play, because it’s not a play that’s easy to practice,” Sirianni said.
“It’s a little insulting to say we’re good at it, so it’s automatic. We work really hard at it,” he added.
The decision means the “tush push” will remain part of the game until at least the 2025 season.
Also, this victory for traditional football tactics comes amid a years-long trend of rule changes that have gradually made the game less physical, from targeting penalties to kickoff modifications.
However, teams opposed to the “tush push” are now being encouraged to find better defensive strategies rather than rely on rule changes.
Ultimately, this refreshing perspective puts the onus back on coaching and player development instead of regulatory intervention—a winning mentality that has made American football the country’s most popular sport.
