Despite months of heated debate and two formal attempts to ban the controversial quarterback sneak, NFL owners failed to pass a rule change that would have effectively eliminated the play. The final decision came Wednesday morning after discussions during the league’s annual owners meeting, where Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and former All-Pro center Jason Kelce made passionate cases for keeping the play legal.
A revised proposal from the Green Bay Packers—who had long pushed for the ban—fell just two votes short of approval. According to Yahoo Sports, 10 teams opposed the rule change, with the Ravens, Patriots, and Jets siding with the Eagles, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Packers’ original proposal aimed to outlaw any offensive player from “pushing or throwing his body” into a teammate immediately after the snap. When that language failed to gain traction in April, they offered a second version echoing the NFL’s pre-2005 rulebook, which barred pushing, pulling, or lifting a runner to aid advancement.
Had it passed, the Eagles would have been hit the hardest. They, along with the Buffalo Bills, ran the tush push far more than any other team over the last three seasons—posting an 87% success rate, compared to the league average of 71%, per ESPN.
But critics of the ban argue the play’s effectiveness isn’t just about the push. “Teams are gonna get the sneak regardless,” said a league source. “Sometimes the pusher doesn’t even touch Jalen Hurts.”
The Eagles’ physical dominance on short-yardage plays has made the tush push both a strategic weapon and a league-wide lightning rod. Yet for now, it remains a legal and lethal part of Philly’s offense heading into the 2025 season.
