Despite outcry from critics and a formal proposal to ban it, the Eagles’ signature short-yardage tactic known as the “tush push” will remain legal in the NFL. The play, praised for its efficiency and condemned for its brute force simplicity, sparked debate across the league—yet failed to garner enough support for prohibition in a recent vote by NFL owners.
An attempt to ban a brutal, brilliant play
The “tush push,” a quarterback sneak variation supercharged by teammates physically pushing the QB forward, has become one of the NFL’s most divisive plays. Immortalized by the Philadelphia Eagles and quarterback Jalen Hurts, the play is nearly automatic in short-yardage situations, raising concerns about fairness, safety, and the spirit of the game.
At this week’s NFL owners’ meeting, a proposal—originally spearheaded by the Green Bay Packers—sought to eliminate the tactic. The proposed rule would have prohibited offensive players from assisting the runner by pushing, pulling, or lifting them. Violations would have incurred a 10-yard penalty, effectively killing the play.
But the proposal fell short of the 75% threshold required to pass, with at least nine or ten teams voting against the measure. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, franchises like the Jets, Patriots, Lions, and Ravens sided with the Eagles, preserving the play—for now.
The mechanics and magic of the tush push
At its core, the tush push strips football to its physical essence: one team trying to move a single yard, the other trying to stop them. While quarterback sneaks have long been a staple in short-yardage scenarios, the Eagles elevated the tactic by adding synchronized shoves from behind, often propelling Jalen Hurts forward with near certainty.
Philadelphia ran the play 92 times in the 2023 season, converting over 90% of those attempts. Only the Buffalo Bills came close in usage, and even they couldn’t match the Eagles’ remarkable efficiency. According to ESPN Research, the tush push accounted for just 0.28% of all NFL plays last season—proof that while highly visible, it is far from ubiquitous.
Still, the Eagles’ mastery of the play made it feel omnipresent, especially in high-leverage moments. Fans, players, and commentators couldn’t stop talking about it—some admiring its brute effectiveness, others decrying its perceived lack of artistry.
Critics say the tush push has no place in the game
Among the most vocal critics was Packers president Mark Murphy. In a pointed column published on the team’s website, Murphy didn’t hold back. “There is no skill involved, and it is almost an automatic first down on plays of a yard or less,” he wrote. “The play is bad for the game, and we should go back to prohibiting the push of the runner. This would bring back the traditional QB sneak. That worked pretty well for Bart Starr and the Packers in the Ice Bowl.”
Murphy and others argue that the play reduces football’s nuance, transforming a tactical game into a brute-force contest that minimizes both creativity and risk. It’s not just about fairness, some claim, but about preserving the sport’s competitive integrity.
The initial proposal, raised in April, failed to gain enough momentum then and was tabled for further discussion. Language was later adjusted to mirror rules in place before 2005—when assisting the runner was illegal. But even with the changes, it couldn’t clear the voting bar.
Eagles push back: “Let the chess match play out”
Philadelphia, naturally, has stood firmly in defense of the play that has become their hallmark. Head coach Nick Sirianni, never shy about his opinions, kept things diplomatic ahead of the vote but left no doubt where he stood. “You know how I feel about it,” Sirianni said. “We were at the owners’ meetings, and we talked about how we felt about it. I don’t think anyone can question what my sentiment is, so we’ll see what happens.”
Team CEO Jeffrey Lurie was even more direct back in April when the ban was first floated. “I don’t remember a play being banned because a single team or a few teams were running it effectively,” Lurie told reporters. “It’s part of what I think most of us love about football—it’s a chess match. Let the chess match play out.”
He went on to suggest that even if the play were eventually outlawed, the Eagles would simply innovate again. “If for any reason it does get banned, we’ll try to be the very best at short-yardage situations. We’ve got a lot of ideas there.”
What happens next?
While the tush push lives to see another season, its future remains uncertain. The NFL tends to legislate slowly, especially when a tactic feels both effective and controversial. One more season of near-perfect conversion rates from Philadelphia—or worse, an injury resulting from the play—could reignite calls for its removal.
For now, though, the play stays in the Eagles’ arsenal, and potentially others’, with full legality. The bigger question is whether any team other than Philadelphia can replicate its effectiveness. The play demands not just coordination, but elite offensive line play, quarterback strength, and split-second timing—all elements the Eagles have in abundance.
Until then, the tush push stands as both symbol and flashpoint: a microcosm of what makes football great—and what some say threatens to oversimplify it. The next move in the chess match? It belongs to the defenses trying to stop it.
