Why NFL might ban 'Tush Push,' the Eagles' signature play

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No one pushes tushes like the Philadelphia Eagles, although that might not be the case for much longer.

The short-yardage play known as the “Tush Push” — also referred to as the “Brotherly Shove” by Eagles faithful — is in danger of being banned by NFL owners, possibly as soon as this week’s spring meeting in Minneapolis.

Here’s how we got to this point.

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What is the ‘Tush Push’?

It’s a version of a quarterback sneak, with the offensive line bunched up in front of the signal-caller and a pair of players directly behind him. When the ball is snapped, everyone in what quickly becomes a mass of humanity drives forward to get the quarterback past the first-down marker.

Decades ago, the play would have been illegal based on NFL rules that prohibited offensive players from directly aiding a runner in any way. But in 2005, the league clarified the rule and said it’s OK to help a ballcarrier by pushing him (pulling him forward is still a no-no).

The Eagles have had success running the play since 2022, with two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Jalen Hurts as the person getting his posterior propelled and seven-time Pro Bowl center Jason Kelce leading the effort in front. Kelce retired before the 2024 season, but the team’s success with the play continued behind new starting center Cam Jurgens.

According to ESPN, the Eagles have scored 27 touchdowns and recorded 92 first downs using the play over the past three seasons. During their two Super Bowl appearances over that span, the Eagles scored their first touchdown by giving Hurts a “Brotherly Shove” over the goal line.

Also during that span, ESPN reports, the Eagles and Buffalo Bills have run the play more than the rest of the NFL combined, with a far greater success rate (87% for Philadelphia and Buffalo compared to 71% for the rest of the league.)

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Who proposed the ban?

The Green Bay Packers. After their initial proposal was tabled at the NFL’s annual league meeting in April, the Packers submitted a revision this week that would prohibit “an offensive player from pushing, pulling, lifting or assisting the runner except by individually blocking opponents for him.”

The initial proposal had called for such restrictions only to be in effect “immediately at the snap.”

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Why ban the ‘Tush Push’?

The Packers’ proposal cites “player safety” and “pace of play” as reasons for the ban, although many opponents of the play seem to focus on the former argument.

Even with his team’s success with the push, Bills coach Sean McDermott expressed safety concerns in February.

“To me, there’s always been an injury risk with that play,” he said. “The techniques that are used with that play, to me, have been potentially contrary to the health and safety of the players.”

He added: “You have to go back, though, in fairness, to the injury data on the play. But I just think the optics of it, I’m not in love with.”

But NFL executive vice president of communications Jeff Miller has a different way to look at it. “The data doesn’t support” safety being an issue with the push, he said in February, “in large part because there’s just the infrequent nature of the play. So we don’t have a trend or a data point to look at and analyze and say, ‘Hey, this showed up.’”

Kelce, who has described the play as “grueling,” said in April that he wouldn’t characterize it as dangerous.

“I get why some people think that it’s potentially unsafe,” Kelce reportedly said during an episode of his New Heights podcast. “I think optically it looks unsafe. For me, personally, I never felt like there’s that much more of a risk of injuring somebody on the play, and I don’t think there’s any statistics to back that up.”

Others argue that the play doesn’t belong in football. Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu — who was drawn offside on three consecutive plays during the NFC championship game while attempting to prevent Philadelphia from tush-pushing its way to a touchdown — called it “a cheapo play.”

“It’s pretty much a scrum in rugby,” Luvu said. “That’s how I kind of look at it. We’ve got to have a scrum too, on the other side, and we have a cadence where we all go at once. It’s not like you hard count and this and that, where now you’re getting us, or myself, jumping over the pile thinking that they’re about to snap the ball.”

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Why shouldn’t the ‘Tush Push’ be banned?

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni defended his team’s use of the play while speaking with reporters in February.

“I’ve seen some of the stuff like, you know, that it’s an automatic play. I almost feel a little insulted because we work so hard at that play,” he said. “We work really, really hard, and our guys are talented at this play. And so it’s a little insulting to say just because we’re good at it, it’s automatic. ...

“It’s a skill that our team has because of the players that we have, the way the coaches coach it. Again, there’s just so much time put into it. The fact that it’s a successful play for the Eagles and people want to take that away, I think it’s a little unfair.”

President Trump offered a “Tush Push” endorsement when he hosted the Super Bowl champs at the White House last month.

“I hope they keep that play,” Trump said. “ ... I like it. It’s sort of exciting and different.”

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