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Outside of a poor stretch to end the 2023 season, the Philadelphia Eagles have been one of the best two teams in the NFL. Their signature play of this run, which was just capped off by a blowout victory in Super Bowl LIX, is the “tush push”.
Their version of the quarterback sneak has been ultra-effective since they started using it a few seasons ago. But, there’s a huge push around the league for the play to be banned, and Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie is speaking out against a proposed ban.
A proposed ban of the play, led by the Green Bay Packers and team executive Mark Murphy, has picked up steam in recent weeks, and even got a vote this week during league meetings, with half of the league in favor of a ban and half the league opposed to the ban. Here’s more on that vote from ESPN.
NFL owners plan to continue discussions about the Philadelphia Eagles’ short-yardage tush push play after tabling a proposal Tuesday to ban it, league officials said.
The Green Bay Packers authored the proposal, which earned the support of 16 NFL teams, two sources told ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler. NFL bylaws require a minimum of 24 votes to approve a change. The topic is likely to be revisited when owners gather for their spring meeting May 20-21 in Eagan, Minnesota.
The deliberations occupied owners, general managers and coaches for much of this week’s annual league meeting, mostly because it seemed to target the Super Bowl LIX champions for a legal play that has been largely unstoppable over the past three seasons. The Packers’ proposal was written specifically for the play, unlike most rule proposals, and would prohibit an offensive player from immediately pushing a teammate who is lined up directly behind the snapper and receives the snap.
Lurie, who has owned the Eagles since 1994 and has overseen the most successful periods in team history, is adamant the play should not be banned.
Jeffrey Lurie completely dismantles the two arguments against the Tush Push: pic.twitter.com/JCaBsITD4B
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) April 1, 2025
Lurie definitely raises some strong points. If the league is saying studies show the play doesn’t increase injury risk, what leg does proponent of a ban have to stand on?