NFL Tables Vote On Banning Tush Push

According to Dianna Russini, the NFL has tabled the vote on the rule proposal to ban the Eagles’ Tush Push play to a later date.

The play and the reaction to it has easily been the top item of conversation at this week’s owners meetings in Florida, with coaches for and against the proposal weighing in. 

Critics have primarily focused on potential safety concerns with the play, though the NFL has not found any data to suggest it has an increased injury rate. Coaches like Bills HC Sean McDermott have said they should be proactive rather than reactive. 

Supporters note the lack of injury data and point out it would be unfair to punish the Eagles for running the play better than any other team. 

Any NFL rule change needs 24 votes out of the 32 owners to pass. Jonathan Jones reports 16 teams were against the proposal to ban the play. 

The Packers were the team that proposed banning the play. Packers president Mark Murphy has been an outspoken opponent of the play.

“There is no skill involved and it is almost an automatic first down on plays of a yard or less,” he wrote in a response to a fan in a Q&A column on the team website. “The series of plays with the Commanders jumping offsides in the NFC Championship Game to try to stop the play was ridiculous. The referee even threatened to give the Eagles an automatic touchdown if the Commanders did not stop it. I would like to see the league prohibit pushing or aiding the runner (QB) on this play. There used to be a rule prohibiting this, but it is no longer enforced because I believe it was thought to be too hard for the officials to see. The play is bad for the game, and we should go back to prohibiting the push of the runner. This would bring back the traditional QB sneak. That worked pretty well for Bart Starr and the Packers in the Ice Bowl.”

We’ll have more on the Tush Push as the news is available.