The NFL’s attempt to ban the Philadelphia Eagles‘ “Tush Push” came up short after failing to secure the required 24 votes needed, in a blow to the Kansas City Chiefs who voted to get rid.
The league’s most controversial short-yardage tactic survived the spring meeting in Eagan, Minnesota, despite the effots of the Green Bay Packers to stamp it out of football.
Philadelphia has long mastered the Tush Push, which is a quarterback sneak enhanced by teammates pushing from behind, to such an extent that it has become a staple of their offense and results in a score 87% of the time.
It’s a source of frustration for opponents. Yet even with efforts to broaden the scope of the ban to cover all similar techniques, only 22 teams voted in favor, two short of the number needed to alter the rulebook.
According to Adam Schefter, the ten teams voted against the proposal were the Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, and Tennessee Titans.
Philadelphia’s leadership, including team owner Jeffrey Lurie and recently retired center, Jason Kelce, actively lobbied fellow owners to keep the play legal. Their efforts appeared to sway enough opinions to ensure its survival.
According to ESPN, the initial vote on the proposal earlier this offseason was deadlocked at 16-16, forcing the matter to be tabled until the spring meeting before the Eagles won out.
The Packers even debuted a revised version of the proposal aimed to eliminate all forms of assistance to the ball carrier, not just at the line of scrimmage, in a bid to win the extra votes.
The language clarified that “offensive players cannot assist the runner except by individually blocking opponents for him,” removing the previous limitation of “immediately at the snap” but the NFL was not in favor.
Did Chiefs try to ban Tush Push?
Notably absent from that list? The Kansas City Chiefs, who chose to sit out the vote despite being defeated by the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, where Philadelphia used the Tush Push to open the scoring.
That decision has raised eyebrows, considering the role the tactic played in their 40-22 loss at the Caesars Superdome as well as the fact the team do not employ the Tush Push as part of their regular offense.
Philadelphia and the Buffalo Bills ran the Tush Push play more than any other team in recent seasons, and have used it with remarkable efficiency and success. The Eagles won the Super Bowl with the play, whilst the bills made the AFC Championship Game.
Additionally, ESPN reports that the pair achieved a first down or touchdown on 87% of their combined attempts, far outperforming the 71% success rate of the rest of the league.
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