The tush push is still a legal play (for now) after a vote of 22-10 earlier this week kept the change from happening. For a new rule to pass in the NFL, you need a super-majority of 75% in favor, meaning this proposal fell just short of adoption.
To make matters worse, the NFL chose the Green Bay Packers as the poster child for the rule change, to no avail. The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t take too kindly to that, but it will probably come back to haunt them in a year when this proposal most likely resurfaces.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the proposed rule change was the work of Roger Goodell and the league, who have a vested interest trying to ban the play. But obviously there has to be a team willing to serve as its public face, and so Goodell reportedly “nudged” the Packers to propose the ban, per Dan Patrick.
The Eagles can celebrate all they want that they get their modified quarterback sneak for at least one more year. But this will probably be the final year the play is legal. Florio added that Goodell could end up putting pressure on two of the 10 holdout teams to flip their decision when the proposal resurfaces. And it seems when the league commissioner wants something, it gets done.
The tush push debate is tabled for a year, which will bring a bigger spotlight on the Philadelphia Eagles
The interesting thing about the effort to ban the tush push is that only the Eagles have figured out how to perfect it. When any other team attempts to try the supposedly unstoppable play, that’s when injuries occur and epic failures ensue. The NFL doesn’t have data that tracks how dangerous the play is, tut if they want the play banned enough, there will be data for at least the 2025 season to back up why the play needs to be taken out of the league.
That probably won’t affect whether two teams change their minds or not. The only way teams will budge is if they play the Eagles and the tush push is the reason they lost. Other than that, Goodell might have to nudge a little harder to get this play banned. Philadelphia is fresh off a Super Bowl, and the “Brotherly Shove” has surfaced once again as a hot topic.
The NFL won’t let this rest until the play is banned. I think it would be different if multiple teams learned how to utilize the play, but it’s become an unfair advantage for the Eagles and the NFL’s ready to put a stop to it.
The Eagles are better off not gloating and just enjoying it while they can, because there’s a pretty good chance the tush push will be no more after the 2025 season.