NFL owners vote against banning tush push

The NFL’s owners met on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss and decide the future of two significant potential rule changes ahead of the 2025 season.

They voted on the current playoff system, involving re-seeding based off teams’ regular season records, as well as the ever-controversial, tush push — the play-call the Philadelphia Eagles have popularized to help convert short-yardage situations. 

Ultimately, the owners decided not to ban the tush push, per multiple reports. It took a lengthy deliberation to come to this conclusion after the conversation surrounding the tush push was tabled at the annual owners meeting in late March and early April.

It’s a decision that impacts the entire league, but especially the defending Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles.

While several teams employ the tush push, the Eagles popularized it starting in 2022. They converted 93% of such plays in 2022 and 83% in 2023, according to ESPN, before the number dipped to 81.3% in 2024, postseason included, per CBS Sports. 

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in March that the NFL has no “conclusive data” supporting a connection between the tush push and an injury risk increase. Meanwhile, former Eagles center Jason Kelce showed up to the owners meetings in person to lobby in favor of keeping the tush push, rather than banning it, per ESPN.

[Related: NFL owners vote to approve players participation in flag football at 2028 Olympics]

The league released a revised proposal by the Green Bay Packers on Monday that broadens the language to prohibit pushing, pulling, lifting or encircling a runner by any offensive player, not specific to quarterback assists. This would’ve put the rule back where it was 20 years ago, when a previous such ban was lifted because of the difficulty of enforcement.

The play has been key to Philadelphia’s sustained run of success in recent seasons, and helped them win Super Bowl LIX. In fact, the Eagles’ opening touchdown of Super Bowl LIX came via tush push as Jalen Hurts was vaulted into the end zone with the help of his teammates’ force. 

With the tush push remaining a viable play call, the Eagles will, presumably, continue to run it often, while their opponents will try to figure out how to match their success.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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