On Wednesday, NFL owners failed to pass a proposal by the Green Bay Packers that would have outlawed a play made famous by the Philadelphia Eagles: the tush push.
The final vote on Green Bay’s push-play ban proposal was 22-10. That means the proposal actually gained support between the March meetings and today, with the NFL’s desire to enact a ban falling just two votes shy of the 24 needed to pass.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) May 21, 2025
In this variation of the quarterback sneak, two other players line up behind the quarterback — one on either side — and help push the quarterback through the line. As run by the Eagles, the play almost always gains at least a yard, so it is frequently called in short-yardage and goal-to-go situations — most recently against the Kansas City Chiefs in their 40-22 loss to Philadelphia in Super Bowl LIX.
Multiple reports indicate the proposal fell two votes short of adoption. According to another report by Albert Breer, Philadelphia owner Jeffrey Lurie, his assistant GM Jon Ferrari and former Eagles center Jason Kelce spent about 45 minutes speaking against the proposal. While Kelce refused to comment after the session, sources say he focused on how Philadelphia runs the play — and insisted it is not dangerous to players.
The Dallas Cowboys’ Jerry Jones, the San Francisco 49ers’ Jed York and the Buffalo Bills’ Terry Pegula also spoke during the session.
Immediately afterwards, Philadelphia used a YouTube video that seemed to emphasize the Eagles’ intention to continue using the play.
This may not be the final word on the matter. But for 2025, it appears the tush push will live on.
