The Tush Push has been the Philadelphia Eagles’ go-to call on 4th-and-short situations for the past few years, and it has been successful at an incredible rate. A group of offensive players will stand behind the quarterback, and once the ball is snapped, they push the ball carrier ahead a few yards, enough to get the first down.
The NFL‘s executive vice president of football operations, Troy Vincent, recently announced that one NFL team has sent in a proposal in an attempt to ban the famed Tush Push, which got the reaction of one former star QB, who says the Eagles have nothing to worry about.
Will the Tush Push Be Banned? One Former QB Thinks Not
If you have been following the NFL for the past couple of seasons, you have certainly heard of the controversy surrounding the Tush Push. The play was brought to the team by head coach Nick Sirianni when he was hired in 2021, and longtime Eagles center Jason Kelce and Super Bowl-winning quarterback Jalen Hurts are credited with perfecting it.
The controversy stems from how unstoppable it has proven to be. The Eagles have been successful nearly 90% of the time, including when they ran in Super Bowl 59 to score their first touchdown of the game in their eventual win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
This is not the first time that teams have complained about the Tush Push. Just last offseason, the NFL was convinced to have internal conversations regarding the play but decided against banning it, although action was taken. The league implemented a rule in which players pushing the ball carrier had to line up at least one yard behind, proving serious efforts were taken to make the play a little less successful.
However, while the Eagles continued to be extraordinary at the play, the Green Bay Packers, whom the Eagles eliminated in the Wild Card Round, reportedly sent in the proposal to ban the play. Alongside these recent reports came a reaction from former star quarterback Robert Griffin III, who claimed that “The Tush Push will never be banned.”
The Tush Push will never be banned.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) February 24, 2025
It is unlikely that the Tush Push will be banned for safety reasons, as there is not enough injury data available on the play due to its infrequent running. If the play is to be banned, the league will most likely have to decide that having multiple players push a ball carrier for momentum is unfair to opposing defenses.
The Packers have not kept their feelings about the play quiet recently, making this proposal expected for some.
“There is no skill involved and it is almost an automatic first down on plays of a yard or less,” Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy wrote on the team’s website days before the Super Bowl.
Griffin has continually expressed his belief in Hurts and the Eagles throughout the season, saying that the Tush Push is fair and square. But whether the play will actually remain in the Eagles’ playbook remains to be seen.
If the NFL decides to ban the play, Sirianni and teams across the league who have attempted to create their own version of the play will need to begin working on a new automatic fourth-down convertor during the offseason. Maybe a new, famous play could come from one of the many brilliant minds across the NFL.
Could the Packers be successful in banning the Tush Push, or will the Super Bowl champion Eagles get to keep on pushing the tush in 2025? Fans will be anxiously awaiting the NFL’s decision this offseason.