After months of speculation and debate, NFL owners have made their decision: the tush push stays.
At the league’s spring meetings in Minnesota on Wednesday, a vote to ban the controversial quarterback sneak-style play fell short of the 24 votes required for passage. As a result, the play will remain legal for the upcoming 2025 season.
Tush push proves too powerful to stop
The decision marks the end of a prolonged discussion that divided teams and coaches across the league.
Originally proposed by the Green Bay Packers, the motion aimed to prohibit any play in which offensive players push a teammate forward to help advance the ball.
Despite backing from the competition and health and safety committees, the vote failed by just two votes.
First popularized by the Philadelphia Eagles, the tush push has become one of the most efficient short-yardage plays in the NFL.
The Eagles’ version, which features multiple players pushing quarterback Jalen Hurts from behind, proved nearly unstoppable over the past two seasons.
Reports indicate it converted roughly 90% of the time, especially when backed by Philadelphia’s elite offensive line and Hurts’ lower-body strength.
The Eagles, along with teams like the Ravens, Patriots, Jets, and Lions, voted to keep the play.
Their reasoning echoed a consistent theme: it’s a legal football move, not a glitch in the rules.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell and others argued it’s up to defenses to adapt, not the league to outlaw success.
On the other side, Packers president Mark Murphy was among the loudest critics, describing the play as lacking in skill and nearly automatic in outcome.
Green Bay’s latest proposal included language banning any form of player assistance at the snap, whether pushing, pulling, or lifting a ball carrier, but it still failed to sway enough votes.
Philadelphia, which even brought retired All-Pro center Jason Kelce to the meetings to advocate for the play, responded to the news with a simple two-word message on X: “Push On.”
With the decision now final, fans can expect to see the Eagles and others continue to leverage the tush push in crucial moments, and defenders across the league will have to keep searching for an answer.
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