It appears as though detractors of the Philadelphia Eagles’ most unstoppable offensive weapon are going to get their wish. The possibility of banning the “Tush Push” has been on the table since the end of the NFL season, and now it’s drawing closer to a reality.
A vote from NFL owners will come next week on whether or not to ban the controversial play, with Dianna Russini of The Athletic saying that there’s now momentum behind banning the play. The first push to ban the play came from the Green Bay Packers, but there had been whispers about frustration over the play brewing for several years — peaking this last season as the Buffalo Bills added the Tush Push to their repertoire as well.
It makes for an extremely awkward scenario. Is it that the Tush Push should be banned because it’s inherently bad for football? Or is this sour grapes from teams who have been beaten by the play, while lacking the personnel to pull it off themselves? It’s this question Atlanta Falcons CEO Rich McKay is grappling with. McKay also serves on the NFL’s competition committee as its longest tenured member, and spoke to Yahoo Sports about the upcoming decision.
“The thing that nobody likes about this discussion that we’re having … is the idea that the rule is directed towards two teams,” McKay, who’s also the Atlanta Falcons’ CEO, said Tuesday over Zoom. “We’ve had many rules over the years that come in about some play or some tactic or something that was just never contemplated, that all of a sudden is introduced and there’s a rule put up to say maybe we shouldn’t have that tactic or that play.”
A tush push ban would be a targeted blow to the Eagles and Bills who used the play more times in 2024 than the other 30 teams combined. It raises serious questions about whether this is the kind of play the NFL Competition Committee need to get involved in at all — but there is also a risk that the play could fundamentally alter how football is schemed, and how rosters are created.
The heart of the Tush Push comes from a strong interior offensive line, from there it’s about using two players behind the quarterback to physically push him through the pile to gain yardage on short down situations, or score at the goal line. It’s a simple concept, but as a whole teams around the league have struggled to emulate the success of either the Eagles or Bills. This is largely due to Philadelphia having the offensive line strength to squeeze Jalen Hurts through the pile, while Buffalo is able to utilize Josh Allen’s strength and size as a ball carrier to make it work.
We’ll know more next week, but it certainly seems like the play is going to be banned.
