Should the NFL ban the 'tush push'? The case for and against outlawing Eagles' signature play

USA Today

20-05-2025

Should the NFL ban the 'tush push'? The case for and against outlawing Eagles' signature play
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When it comes to the Philadelphia Eagles' infamous "tush push," some have more to say than others.
The Eagles have made a living on that signature play that comes with many nicknames. In 2024, they rode that controversy all the way to a Super Bowl victory. That was enough to ramp up the conversation.
That became especially true when Shawn Hochuli channeled his inner annoyed principal and told the Washington Commanders he could award the Eagles a score in the NFC championship game.
So like kids on the playground at recess, some NFL teams have learned that life isn't fair and they're ready to do something about it.
Some have tried and almost all have failed to replicate the success that was pioneered by Jalen Hurts, Jason Kelce and Nick Sirianni. The Green Bay Packers chose to present the case to ban the controversial play, and NFL owners are set to vote on its fate this week.
The question is: Should it be banned? Does the "tush push" rise to the level of annoyance like Silly Bandz or fidget spinners? Is it as dangerous as old-fashioned dodgeball or a book that found itself caught up in a heated political debate?
USA TODAY Sports' NFL experts present their cases on the "Brotherly Shove" and whether or not the play should be outlawed:
Nate Davis
I could be swayed to vote against the push play – but in the future, when it reaches the point of essentially being an automatic conversion league-wide, similar to what extra points became when they were 20-yard kicks. But now? Putting a stop to it in the moment feels something like a vendetta against the Super Bowl champion Eagles, who use it far more frequently – and effectively – than any other team.
After all, the NFL is only a copycat league when you can copy the cat – but the Eagles have tush-pushed like no other. And I've been around them more than enough to know how they feel.
Pro Bowl guard Landon Dickerson told me it's basically a modified quarterback sneak, so legislating it out of the game is problematic – though I might concede having QB Jalen Hurts rammed from behind by TE Dallas Goedert and others could be the component of the play most logically disallowed.
Left tackle Jordan Mailata told me after last season's NFC championship game rout of the Washington Commanders, who crumbled against the tush push – I see you, Frankie Luvu – that the strategy encapsulated Philly winning in the 'mental warfare' department.
As for the notion it's dangerous – despite the utter lack of data to support that theorem – come on. You really going to contend the tush push is more fraught with bodily risk than RB Saquon Barkley hitting a goal line packed with bodies at full speed – for him or defenders?
You want my vote to kill the tush push? Fine. Just bring me a better case than I've seen to date. Until then? Stop the Eagles. Or successfully mimic them.
Vote: Keep it!
MORE: How Commanders turned Eagles' signature tush push into 'mental warfare'
Tyler Dragon
It seems that most of the NFL's rules cater toward the offense and handicap the defense, so it's kind of refreshing to see the NFL consider a rule that helps the defense. But the tush push isn't a play the NFL should outlaw.
According to ESPN, the Eagles have a success rate of 86% since they started doing the tush push in 2022. The NFL average is 76%. While the success rate is high in short-yardage situations, the play isn't unstoppable.
I'm all for the NFL becoming a bit more physical on both sides of football (and still remaining as safe as possible). There isn't evidence to suggest that the tush push is a dangerous play. But it's a physical play in an NFL game that's becoming less physical.
Vote: Keep it!
Tom Viera
The Eagles are one of 32 teams with a competitive advantage on this play. In 2024, they successfully executed 28 out of 34 "tush push" attempts, according to Next Gen Stats. Other teams prepare for the play, but they still can't stop it.
That's bad for entertainment value, therefore it's bad for business. Imagine in a few years' time if all 32 teams learned to run the "tush push" successfully; How's that entertaining?
Dust off the traditional QB sneak perfected by Tom Brady, which never garnered the same level of ire and detest as the "tush push." Should the play be banned, Jalen Hurts and the Eagles are likely to navigate this situation better than many expect.
Vote: Ban it!
Jack McKessy
The Green Bay Packers' proposal to ban the play reads like a tattletale child on the playground that didn't get included in the latest game of tag.
'Well if I can't have fun, then no one should.'
All 32 teams could run the same exact play if they so choose. There's no 'secret' or 'hidden method,' but the other 31 teams still don't try it.
With that being the case, Occam's razor would say the Eagles simply run a quarterback sneak play better than every other team, and every other team can't run their own 'tush push' effectively. It's a copycat league, so why hasn't this play been effectively copied yet in the three years since it's been introduced?
That's not to mention the poor wording of the current proposal, which leaves plenty of room for loopholes and liberal interpretations. And if the rule change does pass, the Eagles and other teams will simply find those loopholes or come up with other ways to run effective plays in short yardage situations.
Banning a play that only one out of 32 teams has used effectively and consistently for three years is like the teacher listening to that aforementioned tattletale child and banning the game of tag at recess. The rest of the kids are just going to find other ways to have fun.
Vote: Keep it!
Ayrton Ostly
Winning consistently in the NFL is tough. There are only so many ways to find small margins that make the difference on a weekly basis and teams shouldn't be punished for finding advantages with their personnel.
The Eagles have one of the best offensive lines in the league and a powerful runner at quarterback. Getting the upper hand in leverage in the trenches is no new concept. Philadelphia's just better at it than other teams due to their unique talent on the roster.
Don't get mad and complain to the teacher (in this case, the NFL) to get the one kid banned from playing a game a certain way just because you can't exactly replicate it or beat them. Figure out how to win. Other NFL teams need to catch up in doing it themselves and/or invest in better ways to combat it defensively.
Vote: Keep it!
Nick Brinkerhoff
Death, taxes and "tush push" first downs can't be the only things guaranteed in life.
Yes, other teams have failed, but what if they don't going forward? Do we want to live in a world where players get their tushes pushed all game long? Think of the children – and the game that'll be left behind.
As it's said, one person has a tendency of ruining it for the rest. In this case, that's the Eagles. Inadvertent or not, they pushed the envelope too far, making their play too big of a talking point. It's a lot like that local restaurant that gets noticed by a big celebrity; You're happy for their bottom line and the success that follows, but annoyed that the 20 minute wait is now 40 and items on the menu are sold out.
Sometimes there is too much of a good thing and the Eagles may learn that the hard way. The "tush push" must go.
Vote: Ban it!
Joe Rivera
Much like D.J. Khaled, the Eagles are suffering from success.
Is it fair to penalize Philadelphia for being too good at one play? Probably not. However, unlike the NFL's oftentimes reactionary and late-to-the-party nature on rule changes, it's better for the league to get out in front of this than wait until the copycats crack the code on what makes the "tush push" darn near automatic.
Sure, not all 31 other squads have a world-class offensive line and a quarterback who can squat Volkswagens, and at least a small fraction won't for a long time, if ever.
But, as a fan, do you want to wait until that point in which those other teams are spending the majority of their Sundays pushing their own quarterbacks around more than the opposing team's? Do you want to see the drama and suspense sucked out of critical short-yardage situations? That doesn't sound like an entertaining product to watch.
No one has been able to replicate the Eagles' success on the "tush push." That doesn't mean the league never will. I'd rather not wait to find out what that looks like on NFL Sundays.
Vote: Ban it!
Final tally
Keep it: Four votesBan it: Three votes