The infamous "tush push" play, which has become a hallmark of the Philadelphia Eagles' strategy, will remain in the game for the 2025 NFL season. Despite a lot of chatter and some serious pushback, the NFL owners decided against banning it during their spring meetings in Minnesota on Wednesday.
So, who was on board with keeping this play, and who wanted it gone? Let’s break it down.
To actually ban the "tush push," the proposal from the Green Bay Packers needed a hefty 75% approval, which translates to 24 out of the 32 teams. The final vote? It was 22-10, with nine teams siding with the Eagles to keep the play alive, as reported by The Associated Press.
Now, here’s the scoop on the teams that stood with the Eagles in this vote. According to ESPN, the Eagles had some company in their corner.
On the flip side, the teams that voted to ban the "tush push" included every team on the Eagles' 2025 regular season schedule, except for the Lions. That’s right, the Eagles' NFC East rivals—the Commanders, Cowboys, and Giants—all wanted the play to be kicked to the curb. Remember last season's NFC title game? The Eagles were pretty much unstoppable with the "tush push" against the Commanders, leading to some serious frustration on their part. Washington linebacker Frankie Luvu even got hit with back-to-back penalties trying to stop it, and he’s been vocal about wanting it banned, calling it cheap. The Commanders are owned by Josh Harris, who also manages the Sixers.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni had a little fun with the situation, joking that teams with his former coordinators—like the Cardinals, Colts, and Saints—would vote to keep the play. But only the Saints came through, siding with the Eagles in the vote.
The push to change the rules and ban the "tush push," also known as the "Brotherly Shove," was led by the Packers, especially after the Eagles' impressive playoff run and their Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Before this latest vote, the proposal had already been tabled at the NFL owners' meetings back in April.
After the Packers' 22-10 playoff loss to the Eagles in the wild card round last season, Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy didn’t hold back, calling the play "bad for the game" in a message on the team’s website. He argued that there’s no real skill involved and that it’s almost a guaranteed first down on short-yardage plays. Murphy expressed a desire to see the league prohibit any pushing or aiding of the runner.
In their updated proposal submitted to the league, the Packers suggested banning any pushing or pulling of a runner "in any direction at any time," as well as lifting a player to their feet. They cited player safety and the pace of play as reasons for the ban, but interestingly, the NFL has previously stated that there haven’t been any reported injuries related to the play.
