As NFL owners prepare to meet this week in Minneapolis, the Green Bay Packers have updated their proposal that would ban the Eagles’ signature play, the Tush Push.
Basically, the new proposal reverts back to similar language that was in the rule book before 2004. It broadens the rule to ban any pushing, pulling or lifting of a runner.
The Packers’ initial proposal this spring was apparently too specific and the discussion at the owners meetings in Palm Beach, Florida, a couple months ago was tabled after opinions were split. The straw poll reportedly had it right down the middle at 16-16 — and 24 votes are needed to pass a rule change.
At that time, Competition Committee chairman Rich McKay brought up the possibility of tweaking the proposal to go back to the old language.
Here’s what McKay said about that in early April, via NFL.com:
“Up to 2004, we had rules in place that prohibited pushing and pulling, and we deleted that from the book because it became harder for our officials to officiate downfield what was going on,” McKay said. “So that got deleted. From that came a play like this and a formation like this. So I think the idea was, listen, as opposed to voting on this particular proposal today, Green Bay asked could we go back and talk about reintroducing the 2004 language, study it, understand it, and talk about it again when we get to May.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell also spoke about possibly going back to the old language so it’s not surprising to see the proposal tweaked in this way. And it seems like the momentum is heading toward this proposal passing.
Owners are expected to vote at the meetings in Minneapolis on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. It would take 24 of 32 votes for the proposal to pass.
The proposal still cites the reasons for the potential rule change as “player safety” and “pace of play.” The NFL’s data — zero injuries on the play in 2024 — seems to indicate that the play is a safe one. Some of the detractors of the play have spoken about being proactive to prevent future injuries. But even McKay admitted some of the discussion earlier this offseason was about the aesthetics of the play.
The Eagles, who have run the Tush Push way better than any team in the NFL, have been defending its safety and legitimacy for years now. They have been even more vocal in recent months as the play has come under attack again.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Eagles have been lobbying recently to keep the play as is.
“We’ve been very open to whatever data exists on the Tush Push and there’s just been no data that shows that it isn’t a very, very safe play,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in early April. “If it weren’t, we wouldn’t be pushing the Tush Push.
“But I think, first of all, it’s a precision play. It’s very practiced. We devote a lot of resources to the Tush Push. We think we have an unusual use of personnel because we have a quarterback (Jalen Hurts) that can squat over 600 pounds and an offensive line that’s filled with All-Pro players. That combination with incredible, detailed coaching with Coach (Jeff) Stoutland, has created a play we can be very successful at. There’s other ways of gaining that half yard, that yard. There’s quarterback sneaks, other types, but we’ve been very, very good at it.”
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