The Philadelphia Eagles have become masters at one of the most controversial and unstoppable plays in the NFL: the Tush Push. During this past offseason, the Green Bay Packers attempted to ban it after suffering a 22-10 defeat against the Eagles last season. After a final vote in May, NFL owners failed to obtain the required 24 votes needed to ban the play (it only acquired 22).
But, what is the Tush Push and why has it created so much contention in the NFL and with its fans?
The Tush Push is truly what it sounds like; the quarterback is pushed past the opposing defensive line by players behind him. These players include the running back and tight end. The play is often used for short-yardage and goal-line circumstances and has a high success rate of converting into a first down (91.3% of the time for third-and-one and fourth-and-one situations for the Eagles since 2022).
NFL coaches have weighed in with their opinions of the contentious play. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur spoke about the play, “It’s not really a football play. It’s more of a rugby play.”
Contrastingly, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell spoke in favor of keeping the Tush Push in action. The Lions were one of 10 teams that were against banning the play. “You take something else out of the game, then we’re taking the next thing out of the game, then we take another thing out of the game, and pretty soon we don’t have pads anymore. Then pretty soon we’re only playing 30 minutes,” Campbell said.
As expected, there are still NFL fans who are in favor of keeping the play in the sport as well. People believe that eliminating the Tush Push takes away from a huge part of the game. How is it any different from a traditional quarterback sneak or end-of-game quarterback kneel down? It is said that if the Tush Push isn’t a traditional football play, neither are those.
However, the difference between the Tush Push and more common plays like those is that it’s nearly impossible to defend this play. The loophole of this play allows the quarterback to be assisted by his teammates and this gives the offense a sizable advantage. While the defense is also allowed to push back for a clash of strength, if they choose to do this, they leave the wide receivers open and are susceptible to a fake Tush Push.
On top of that, the play also poses a risk of injury. During Super Bowl LIX, Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Chris Jones aggravated his neck while trying to defend the Eagles’ Tush Push, which involved him lining up sideways and getting flattened. The danger to players’ health is simply not worth keeping the play in the game.
Additionally, the play is extremely hard for refs to officiate. The ball essentially becomes invisible because of how close in proximity the players line up to execute the Tush Push. So, it’s hard for the ref to see the ball’s exact position. It’s also tremendously hard for officials to identify false starts and offensive linemen often move before the snap.
After the ban was unable to be upheld, teams have been challenged to learn how to defend the effective play. During the 2024-2025 season NFC Championship, the Washington Commanders received four penalties attempting to stop the Eagles on the goal line. The Minnesota Vikings got creative in their effort to stop this seemingly unstoppable play. This defensive formation consisted of linebacker Tyler Batty laying down horizontally in front of the center, but they did not succeed with this strategy on the first try. It is evident that while teams have been scheming up different strategies, the play is simply too difficult to defend to be allowed in the NFL.
The Tush Push is also immensely dull. When the Eagles experience short-yardage situations, it has become expected that they run this play. But, it takes away the innovation that distinguishes football from rugby. “It takes away the fun of watching the sport as offensive coordinators no longer need to come up with inventive approaches to fourth-and-one circumstances,” senior and football player Farai Fraser said.
In short, it would be a disservice to the league for the NFL to not revisit banning the Tush Push and its odiousness because of the implications it has on football.
