The big story coming out of the NFL’s late spring meetings in Minneapolis this week was, of course, the future of the tush push. For now, the play lives on for another year, but don’t be surprised if the rule about pushing a runner from behind gets changed back to the way it was before 2005 next year.
For the time being, the debate can stop for several months, and the Eagles — and their apparently very animated owner — can rest assured that they won’t be penalized for exploiting this loophole. Surely football fans will see Nick Sirianni spam that playcall in week 10 when the Eagles play the Packers, regardless of whether Packers president Mark Murphy did in fact offer to fall on the sword for the rest of the NFL by proposing the rule change on his way out the door.
That was hardly the only big news from the meetings, however. The most notable other piece of news involves the league agreeing to allow its players to participate in flag football during the 2028 Olympics, which has many of the players themselves excited about the prospect. However, not all teams were in favor of the idea, and you can count Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst among those opposed.
There is also sad news from the NFL as well, as a well-respected owner passed away on Wednesday.
Here’s a look at the big takeaways from this week’s meetings.
Sources: Tempers flare as Eagles defend tush push in heated debate - ESPN
The voting finished just two votes short of the needed 75 percent, with a final vote of 22-10, and it's possible that Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie's hour-long speech pushed a couple of teams back into the "no" column on the vote.
Brian Gutekunst has concerns about NFL players getting injured in Olympic flag football - NBC Sports
There's a good chance the Packers were not among the teams who voted to approve the NFL sending players to the Olympics in 2028, but it's happening. Thankfully, the rules involve each team only sending one player.
Flag Football in Olympics: This All-Packers Team Would Win Gold | SI.com
Sorry, linemen, you're out. The biggest player on this team is Clay Matthews, who would use his speed and quickness to close a 15-yard span in a flash.
Alex Freeman runs his own route, right onto the USMNT’s radar - The Athletic ($)
Antonio Freeman's son is one of the better young players in the MLS at just 20 years old, and he's gunning for a call-up to the national team soon.
4 Packers trending down: Several defensive players faded late in 2024 | Packers Wire
Green Bay’s safety play dipped a bit down the stretch, with Evan Williams getting banged up and Xavier McKinney simply unable able to keep up the incredible level of play he established in the first half of the season.
Jim Irsay dies at 65: NFL community mourns Colts owner | NFL.com
Irsay had been battling health problems for several years. While he was a quirky personality to say the least, the entire NFL community and particularly the state of Indiana have nothing but positive comments about him.
Girl, 3, fears John Wilkes Booth is under her bed after Ford’s Theatre visit - syracuse.com
Kids, am I right?