The NFL is not expecting a tush push ban proposal for 2026, meaning the league’s most controversial short-yardage play is set to remain in place
15:09 ET, 23 Feb 2026Updated 15:09 ET, 23 Feb 2026
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts prepares to tush push
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Jalen Hurts and the Eagles' offensive line have perfected the tush push(Image: Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The NFL’s most debated short-yardage play appears set to remain part of the game in 2026.
After months of speculation about whether the league would revisit efforts to outlaw the “tush push,” competition committee co-chairman Rich McKay said this week he does not expect a ban proposal to surface ahead of the upcoming season. Speaking at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, McKay made clear that, for now, there is no formal movement to eliminate the play, after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones offered his honest take on the fate of the play.
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“There’s no team proposal that I’ve seen from it,” McKay said. “So, I wouldn’t envision it. But you never know.”
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The tush push, a quarterback sneak variation in which teammates line up behind the ball carrier and drive him forward, has been used most prominently by the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills. It is typically deployed in short-yardage or goal-line situations, where a fraction of an inch can determine the outcome of a drive.
Last year’s debate over the play was one of the most heated rule discussions in recent memory. The Green Bay Packers submitted a proposal in early 2025 aimed specifically at prohibiting offensive players from immediately pushing a teammate lined up behind the snapper and receiving the snap. That proposal required 24 of 32 owner votes to pass but fell short, garnering only 16.
The Packers later revised the language to more broadly prohibit pushing any ball carrier anywhere on the field, effectively attempting to revive a rule that existed in the NFL until 2005. That revision also failed, missing the required threshold by two votes during the league’s May meetings.
The Eagles first used the "tush push" in 2021
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The Eagles first used the "tush push" in 2021(Image: Getty)
Although some around the league have raised safety concerns, the NFL has not released data showing a significant injury spike tied directly to the play. Critics have also pointed to officiating challenges, particularly regarding false starts and determining forward progress in tightly packed scrums.
Statistically, the play remains effective but showed signs of regression league-wide in 2025. Teams ran 112 tush pushes during the season, up from 101 the previous year. The overall conversion rate dipped to 76.8%, compared to 82% from 2022 through 2024.
Philadelphia and Buffalo again led the league in usage, combining for 44 attempts. However, other teams experimented with variations, including lining up tight ends instead of quarterbacks to take the snap.
NFL referees have had a difficult time refereeing the Eagles' patented "tush push" play
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NFL referees have had a difficult time refereeing the Eagles' patented "tush push" play(Image: Getty)
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni previously defended the play and his team’s preparation. “We work really, really hard,” Sirianni said last year. “The amount of things that we’ve looked into how to coach that play, the fundamentals."
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"There’s a thousand plays out there, but it comes down to how you teach the fundamentals and how the players go through and do the fundamentals.”
Packers coach Matt LaFleur offered a different perspective during the height of the controversy. “I think the best way to stop it is to not allow it to happen,” LaFleur said. “You can’t allow them in those short-yardage situations because you know exactly what they’re going to do.”
Unless a late proposal emerges before league meetings this spring, the tush push will remain part of the NFL playbook in 2026.