INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The tush push is still tough to stop, on and off the field.
NFL executive Troy Vincent told reporters at the scouting combine that no team submitted a proposal to ban the controversial quarterback sneak before the deadline this year for clubs to propose rule changes. The league could still explore modifying the rules regarding pushing and pulling players.
The Philadelphia Eagles mastered the short-yardage strategy behind the strong legs of quarterback Jalen Hurts and a powerful offensive line. After the Eagles won the Super Bowl following the 2024 season, the Green Bay Packers authored a rule change proposal to prohibit offensive players from pushing, pulling, lifting, grasping or encircling a runner, which would have effectively outlawed the tush push. The ban was supported 22-10 among the league's 32 franchises, failing to pass by two votes.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said Tuesday at the combine that the Packers had no plan to try to pursue another ban.
“And nobody’s reached out to us about doing it,” Gutekunst said.
The Eagles weren't as successful running the play in 2025 as they were in previous seasons. They also ran some trick plays out of the formation.
“I think there’s some things that teams did this year that they did a good job of being able to stop it,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “We either have to get back to being able to be as dominant as we were at it, or we find new avenues to be able to convert on third down or in the red zone. That’s the fun part about the offseason is to be able to go through those processes. You go through them during the season, as well. And I think you saw us do some cool things off of it, and you still want to be able to do them.”
The NFL instructed officials to crack down on false starts out of the tight formation and there were complaints that officiating the tush push was becoming too difficult. It appeared momentum was building for a proposed ban again this offseason but that hasn't happened.
There was a strong push last year from detractors to eliminate the play for health and safety reasons, even though the NFL's data showed no injuries on the play.
“Last year, we spent two hours on health and safety on the (tush push) and then added 1,000 kickoffs,” said Broncos coach Sean Payton, who is a member of the NFL's Competition Committee. “Which play do you think is more of a health risk? I think if we ever choose to move on from (the tush push), it won't be because of health and safety. It'll just be like we don't like it, which is OK."
Hall of Fame safety John Lynch, the 49ers general manager and also a member of the competition committee, said about the play: “Maybe it's kind of solving itself.”
AP Pro Football Writer Dave Campbell contributed to this report.
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