The Philadelphia Eagles are continuing to run their signature tush push, and there’s little the league can do to stop it, as NFL executive Troy Vincent confirmed at the combine that no proposal to ban the play was submitted before the deadline.
Despite its legality, Dallas Cowboys COO Stephen Jones remains frustrated, because the play gives Philadelphia a clear advantage, particularly in short-yardage situations, where its effectiveness has made opponents cautious and defensive strategies more complex.
“All things are on the radar, and we’re always monitoring the different types of plays,” Jones said. “I will say those scrum plays always stay, you know, in the front of our mind in terms of, ‘Are we sure this is a safe play first and foremost?'”
“I’m not a big fan of the scrums and the pushing, and not just the tush push, but down the field when the runner’s getting close to stopping forward progress, if not stopped. And then you have the guys coming into the pile and pushing, you know.
“It’s not my favorite look in terms of when we look at plays. So those are all things we’ll continue to look at, but I don’t think you’ll see any type of vote at this point, what I’m seeing on the tush push.”
The play itself is simple yet highly effective: teammates line up behind the quarterback and push him forward to gain the needed yardage, and the Eagles have executed it with precision, converting roughly 80-90 percent of short-yardage attempts in past seasons.
Their efficiency dipped last season, though, as they converted 21 of 33 attempts (63.6%), because defenses began adjusting, but the looming threat of the play keeps opponents wary, adding a psychological edge in critical moments and late-game scenarios.
Previously, the Green Bay Packers pushed to ban the maneuver, citing safety concerns, but they fell two votes short of the 24 required, while the Eagles argued that mastering a legal play shouldn’t be penalized, and no team has renewed the push this offseason.
Competition Committee co-chair Rich McKay confirmed at the NFL Combine there are no outstanding challenges: “There’s no team proposal that I’ve seen from it. So, I wouldn’t envision it. But you never know.”
Cowboys confirm franchise tag on George Pickens
The Dallas Cowboys have opted to place the 2026 franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens, a move designed to maintain roster continuity while negotiations continue, and the tag allows Pickens to speak with other teams, while Dallas retains the right to match any offer.
Pickens becomes the first Cowboys player tagged since Tony Pollard in 2023, following Dalton Schultz in 2022, with both Dak Prescott and DeMarcus Lawrence having been tagged twice previously, demonstrating the franchise’s reliance on the mechanism to manage elite talent.
“My relationship with GP doesn’t change,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “Just like it didn’t change with CeeDee Lamb or Dak when those guys were going through certain things. It’s all part of the process. This is going to play out the way it’s supposed to play out. GP loves football.”
Unable to reach a new contract early in the offseason, Pickens now has until mid-summer to finalize a deal, otherwise he will play the 2026 season under a fully guaranteed $27.3 million salary, following a breakout 1,429-yard, nine-touchdown campaign with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb leading the offense.
A long-term deal would secure Pickens as a cornerstone of the Cowboys‘ offense, while allowing the team to remove the $28 million cap hit and create flexibility for free-agent acquisitions, solidifying Dallas‘ plans to build around their top talent for years to come.
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