The tush push has become one of the NFL’s most polarizing plays. Now that the Philadelphia Eagles have used it to get to one Super Bowl and win another, a bunch of the other 31 teams want it gone.
Part of the frustration? No one runs it like the Eagles. It’s been so consistently successful — and nearly impossible to stop — that fans in Philly have dubbed it the “Brotherly Shove.”
At the recent NFL owners meeting, the Green Bay Packers proposed banning the controversial play. Their reasons? Player safety and pace of play. But let’s be real — most teams just can’t stop it, and that’s eating at them.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s Feelings on Tush Push Revealed
The owners decided to table the vote on the tush push until May 2025. That gives the league’s medical experts time to review the play’s safety before making a final decision.
According to ESPN, 16 teams currently support a ban. The NFL needs 24 yes votes to change a rule.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell usually gets what he wants — and in this case, it looks like he’s on board with getting rid of the play. According to Adam Schefter, via 97.5 The Fanatic on X, Goodell is working behind the scenes to make it happen.
“[Roger Goodell] is going to massage it and he’s going to work the owners, and he’s going to get the votes he needs,” Schefter said. “He works for the owners, and his job is to represent what he feels is best for the league. I’m just telling you, I don’t think he wants the play in there.”
At the end of the day, the NFL is a business — and the biggest one in pro sports. The league brought in a massive $25 billion in 2024. Goodell’s job? Keep the money flowing and the owners happy.
“The commissioner, to me, doesn’t seem like he wants the tush push,” Schefter added. “I think he and others think it’s a boring play. I think they think it’s just a boring play that doesn’t belong in the game.”
Eagles’ players feel targeted because other teams can’t run the play. Given how dominant Philadelphia has been with it compared to everyone else, it’s not hard to see why they feel that way.
Over the past few years, the NFL has leaned heavily into offense. Rule changes have helped boost scoring and made life harder for defenses.
These tweaks — like the proposed tush push ban — are framed as player-safety moves. But with legal gambling now a significant part of the league, many fans believe higher scores are just better for business.