Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts holds the Lombardi Trophy during the championship trophy presentation after the Eagles' game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
The “tush push”, a football play mastered and popularized by the Philadelphia Eagles, remains alive after a proposed ban failed to receive enough votes at Wednesday’s NFL league meeting in Minneapolis.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, his sources said the final vote was 22-10. The proposal to ban the play needed a minimum of 24 votes to pass.
The proposal came from the Green Bay Packers, a team that was eliminated by the Eagles on their way to a Super Bowl victory.
This play is essentially a quarterback sneak but with two players assisting former Alabama and Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts by pushing him forward to pick up the first down or score a rushing touchdown in a short yardage situation.
When the Eagles ran this play last season, they had a near-perfect success rate. However, when other teams try to do this play or a play similar to it, the results do not match those of the Eagles.
“We’re the only people that’s doing it as well as we are,” Hurts said when asked after a game versus the Buccaneers in 2023.
NFL coaches like Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott agreed with banning the tush push. McDermott said being “proactive” on banning the tush push to prevent injuries, even if the data is not there now, was the best way to proceed.
Other coaches like Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell had a different view on the matter.
“If you’ve got something, we’ve got to stop it,” Campbell said. So like, to me, leave it in.”
Former Eagles center Jason Kelce attended the league meeting to advocate for the tush push to not be banned after a rumor was floated about him retiring because of the tush push injuring him.
In response to the play staying alive, the Eagles posted a 26-minute long YouTube video of nothing but tush pushes.
Hurts and the Eagles will likely continue to use this play in short yardage situations next season.
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