The Philadelphia Eagles’ signature ‘tush push’ play will remain legal in the NFL following a vote among team owners on Wednesday.
The decision comes as a surprise to some as it was expected owners would vote heavily in favor of outlawing the play – but the Super Bowl champions get to keep their trump card.
A proposal was initially put forward by the Green Bay Packers at the start of April, arguing the tush push didn’t belong in football because of its rugby-like qualities.
The NFL’s competition and health and safety committees even recommended that the league ban the play, but in a shock turnaround the outcome couldn’t have been more different.
In order for the ban to go through, 24 of the league’s 32 teams need to vote in favor of it – and ultimately the project fell short by two.
Which NFL teams wanted to ban the tush push?
The following 22 teams voted in favor of a tush push ban:
- Arizona Cardinals
- Atlanta Falcons
- Buffalo Bills
- Carolina Panthers
- Chicago Bears
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Dallas Cowboys
- Denver Broncos
- Green Bay Packers
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Los Angeles Rams
- Minnesota Vikings
- New York Giants
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- San Francisco 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Washington Commanders
Which NFL teams wanted to keep the tush push?
The following ten teams saved the tush push by voting against the proposed ban:
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Baltimore Ravens
- Cleveland Browns
- Detroit Lions
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Miami Dolphins
- New England Patriots
- New Orleans Saints
- New York Jets
- Tennessee Titans
A ban of the Push Tush play that the Philadelphia Eagles popularized did not receive enough votes at today’s league meeting in Minneapolis. The play remains alive. There will be more tush pushes this season. pic.twitter.com/sy1DOIznqP
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 21, 2025
What is the tush push?
When a team is in need of a yard or less to get a first down or a touchdown, a tush push is usually the play call – sometimes known as a quarterback sneak.
The play involves the quarterback standing behind the center, who snaps him the ball. Multiple players position themselves behind the quarterback and push him through the defensive line.
Normally, it’s the running back and tight end who line up behind the quarterback and push him through. It has a very high success rate and the Eagles are one team to have mastered the craft.
There was a rule change last year which altered the play slightly. Players pushing the quarterback had to stand at least one yard behind him to stop immediate shoving after the snap which causes a greater risk of injury.
What makes the Eagles so effective at the tush push?
The Eagles are so good at the tush push because of their personnel. Jalen Hurts, an agile quarterback with plenty of strength, goes behind left tackle Jordan Mailata who weighs an incredible 365lbs and left guard Landon Dickerson at 332lbs – try stopping that.
Philadelphia has run their quarterback 122 times in 1-yard-to-go scenarios since 2022. In that span, Nick Sirianni’s side has scored 30 touchdowns and gained 105 first downs.
The Eagles were 39 of 48 converting the tush push into a touchdown or first down in 2024.
WATCH: The Eagles’ most recent tush push success
Throwback to our most recent Tush Push 😉 pic.twitter.com/OKJBSZFWGw
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) May 21, 2025
