The NFL approved two rule changes for the 2025-26 season on Tuesday. Overtime will now be 10 minutes long and both teams will have an opportunity to possess the ball even if a team scores a touchdown on their first drive. Additionally, replay assist will be expanded to help make determinations on several previously ineligible penalties.
But the biggest development from the team owners meeting in Palm Beach, Florida was the announcement that no vote was held on whether the "tush push" play should be banned. The Green Bay Packers originally proposed the rule change that would harken back to the days prior to 2004 when it was illegal for a ball carrier to be pushed or pulled.
The league decided to table the issue and pick it back up in May when the owners will re-convene and presumably vote on it. If you're a Philadelphia Eagles fan, that's good news for now.
Nick Sirianni's Godfather-esque threats buy Eagles more time before tush push ban
Head coach Nick Sirianni may or may not have influenced those proceedings indirectly. On Sunday, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported comments made by Sirianni about which teams he believes should be backing the play that has had so much success for the Eagles.
"All I will say ... is [Rich] Gannon, [Shane] Steichen and [Kellen] Moore better vote for it," he said. "They are in the [head coach] position right now because of that play. So all three, I better have those three votes right there and the Eagles vote. I at least know we have four."
Those words sound straight out of House of Cards or The Godfather, which is typical Sirianni if we're being honest. He's referring to his three previous coordinators that are all now in NFL head coaching jobs due to their success under Sirianni. And he's right, the tush push has helped Philadelphia win multiple games since its inception just a few short seasons ago.
As much as four votes won't be enough to prevent such a ban, his point still stands for multiple teams that could figure out their own version in the future. The play works. And as much as it appears to be unbeatable, the remedy might just be for more teams to use it so the playing field evens out.
Regardless, the fate of the "tush push" has been delayed and the debate will continue to rage on until May.