Eagles' "Tush Push" Play Survives Ban Attempt at NFL Spring Meetings
So, after all the chatter and back-and-forth at the NFL's spring league meetings in Minnesota, the fate of the infamous "tush push" has been decided. And guess what? The Philadelphia Eagles' go-to play is sticking around. Yep, you heard that right!
The Green Bay Packers had their shot at banning the "tush push," but it fell short by just two votes. They needed a hefty 75% majority to get it through, but the final tally was 22-10, with nine teams siding with the Eagles against the proposal. Talk about a close call!
Among those who voted against the ban were the Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, and New York Jets, as reported by The Athletic. To put it simply, 24 out of the 32 NFL owners needed to be on board for the ban to pass, and they just didn’t get there.
The Eagles were pretty pumped about the outcome. They took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share a graphic of the "tush push" with the words "push on." They even dropped a 26-minute highlight reel of the play on YouTube. And let’s not forget Lane Johnson, who posted a pic on Instagram with the caption "pushing forward." It’s safe to say they’re proud of their signature move!
According to CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie gave a "passionate but fair" speech during the meetings, and former Eagles center Jason Kelce also stepped up to defend the play. It’s clear the Eagles were ready to fight for their turf.
The push to ban the "tush push" really picked up steam after the Eagles' impressive playoff run and their Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. I mean, when you’re winning like that, it’s no wonder other teams want to take a shot at stopping you!
For those who might not know, the "tush push," also dubbed "The Brotherly Shove," is a pretty straightforward play. It’s usually called when teams are looking for those crucial short yards. The players line up behind the quarterback, and once the ball is snapped, they push him forward. Simple, right?
Just before the spring meetings, the Packers submitted a revised proposal to ban the play. This new version aimed to outlaw pushing or pulling a runner "in any direction at any time" or even lifting them to their feet. If a player was caught doing any of that during a game, it would result in a 10-yard penalty. Ouch!
The Packers argued that the ban was necessary for player safety and to keep the pace of play moving. But here’s the kicker: the NFL has previously stated that there haven’t been any reported injuries related to the "tush push." So, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher.
Initially, the vote to ban the "tush push" was tabled back in April during the NFL league meetings while the league gathered more info about the play. The Packers really ramped up their efforts to ban it after their 22-10 playoff loss to the Eagles in the wild card round last season. Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy even called the "tush push" "bad for the game" in a message on the team’s website after they were eliminated.
Murphy didn’t hold back, saying, "There is no skill involved and it is almost an automatic first down on plays of a yard or less." He went on to express his desire to see the league prohibit pushing or aiding the run. Strong words!
Looking ahead, the Eagles are set to visit Lambeau Field in Week 10 for a Monday Night Football showdown in the 2025 season. That should be an interesting matchup, especially with all this ban talk hanging in the air.
While other teams have tried to replicate the "tush push," none have come close to the Eagles' success, especially with Jalen Hurts at the helm. In the 2024 season, including playoffs, the Eagles converted 39 out of 48 attempts into either a first down or a touchdown. That’s some serious efficiency!
Even former President Trump showed his support for the play during the Eagles' visit to the White House back in April. It’s clear that the "tush push" has made quite the impression, not just on the field but off it too.
During the NFL owners meetings, Lurie expressed his thoughts on the potential ban, emphasizing that player health and safety should be the top priority when evaluating the play. But he also pointed out that he never received any data to support the idea that the play was dangerous.
"I don't ever remember a play being banned because a single team or a few teams were running it effectively," Lurie said. "It's part of what I think that I love and we love most about football is it's a chess match. Let the chess match play out." Wise words, right?
Before the ban vote went down, several Eagles players were asked about it. Jalen Hurts, being the cool guy he is, decided to keep his thoughts to himself ahead of the vote. Meanwhile, wide receiver A.J. Brown joked about the whole situation, saying he didn’t have any strong feelings about the play. "It's only one yard," he quipped.
Left tackle Jordan Mailata had a bit more to say. He mentioned that the Eagles can’t dwell on the possibility of the NFL removing the play. If it gets banned, they’d just run a quarterback sneak without the push in those short-yardage situations. "In terms of them banning the tush push — I hate that name so I hope they do ban it, it's a stupid name," Mailata joked. "But I can't control that, we can't control that, so we don't even worry about that." He’s got a point; they’ve got bigger fish to fry.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, who recently got a contract extension, also weighed in, saying he felt "a little insulted" about the idea of banning the play. "We'll see where that goes," he said. "We're not waiting for very long to figure it out. It's going to be public tomorrow, and you know how I feel about it." Sounds like he’s ready to see how this all plays out.
This story is still developing, and we’ll keep you updated as more details come in. Stay tuned!
Tom Ignudo is a digital content producer at CBS Philadelphia. Before joining CBS Philadelphia in 2021, Tom covered high school and college sports for the Philadelphia Inquirer. He’s all about breaking news, sports, and more.
