The NFL made its final decision on the tush push ahead of the 2026 season and Philadelphia Eagles and Bufallo Bills fans got the news they wanted
13:15 ET, 25 Mar 2026Updated 13:15 ET, 25 Mar 2026
The tush push will once again be a major discussion point of the 2026 NFL season
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The tush push will once again be a major discussion point of the 2026 NFL season(Image: Getty)
The tush push will be back for the 2026 NFL season after the league confirmed that no proposal to ban or alter the play has been submitted for discussion at next week's owners' meetings.
That decision marks the first time in three years that the controversial short-yardage play has escaped the annual rule change process entirely, after Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones gave his take on the fate of the tush push last year.
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ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the play will not be on the agenda when NFL owners convene next week, with Competition Committee co-chairman Rich McKay confirming that no team came forward with a proposal to address it. It comes after the first look inside a team's new $2.1 billion stadium got fans talking.
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The news will come as a relief to the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills, the two franchises that have leaned most heavily on the play in recent seasons, and as a frustration to those who have spent years arguing it should be removed from the game.
McKay was careful not to declare the debate over. "I don't know that it's the end of the debate," he said. "I think there's still people who are concerned with the whole pushing element."
He added that the league's priority for now is ensuring the play is officiated as consistently as possible, no small challenge given the difficulties officials have had in identifying false starts and correctly timing the whistle when forward progress has stopped.
The Eagles first used the "tush push" in 2021
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The Eagles first used the "tush push" in 2021(Image: Getty)
The play's survival comes despite a sustained campaign against it in recent years. The Green Bay Packers submitted a formal proposal to ban the tush push ahead of the 2025 season, supported by multiple teams including the Bills.
When owners voted last May, the ban fell two votes short of the 24 required for a rule change to pass. Eagles owner Jeff Lurie was among those who fought hardest to keep it in the game, drawing a historical comparison to the forward pass, which was once equally controversial before becoming a cornerstone of the modern era.
Former NFL coach and analyst Bill Cowher described it as "not a football play" that belongs more in rugby than American football, a view shared by Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur.
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)
Former NBC and Amazon officiating analyst Terry McAulay was among the most recent voices calling for action, writing last month that "this just cannot be a legal play any more. Now, only pulling a runner is illegal. All pushing, pulling or lifting a runner by a teammate should be illegal."
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McKay suggested the play may be declining in effectiveness on its own terms. The league's own data now shows that the success rate on a traditional quarterback sneak is higher than on the tush push, which may explain why fewer teams appear motivated to push for a ban this offseason.
There were 112 attempted tush pushes in 2025, up slightly from 2024, but the Eagles' own efficiency with the play dropped noticeably, including a Black Friday fumble against the Chicago Bears when the ball was stripped directly from Jalen Hurts' hands.
Five other proposals were submitted for consideration at next week's meetings, including a measure to permit the kicking team to declare an onside kick at any point during a game and a one-year provision allowing the officiating department to correct clear and obvious misses by on-field officials. The tush push, for now, remains untouched.