Why is the NFL considering banning the 'tush push' play?

NFL owners are holding a two-day meeting beginning May 20 to discuss the ins and outs of professional football, and one of the most well-known plays will be on the agenda: the "tush push." The play, in which several offensive players line up behind the quarterback to shove him forward and gain yardage, has been used by the Philadelphia Eagles, who perfected the tush push en route to a Super Bowl victory.

But several other teams, most notably the Green Bay Packers, have introduced a rules amendment to outlaw the play, arguing it is dangerous and unnecessary. The NFL as an organization seems unsure of which way to go.

What did the commentators say?

The Eagles and "others who oppose the proposed ban have argued that one team should not be punished simply because it executes the play particularly well," said The Washington Post. Coaches and officials discussed "whether that is a football play, whether it is appropriate if one or two teams effectuate a play extremely well to take that away from them," said Jeff Miller, the NFL's executive vice president of communications, public affairs and policy, during a press conference.

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The Green Bay Packers have led the charge to ban the play and have called it too risky. There is "no skill involved" in the tush push and "it is almost an automatic first down on plays of a yard or less," said Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy on the team's website. 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 quarterback sneak." The league should "prohibit pushing or aiding the runner (QB) on this play."

But the safety aspect of the tush push is fervently debated. There is "no data to support that player safety is further risked by the tush push," a point that even NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has made, said Yahoo Sports. But Goodell also made this point while "simultaneously suggesting — without data — that the tush push does offer an increased risk of injury."

The NFL should be "becoming a bit more physical on both sides of football (and still remaining as safe as possible)," said USA Today, especially since there "isn't evidence to suggest that the tush push is a dangerous play." But "it's a physical play in an NFL game that's becoming less physical." The "tush push isn't a play the NFL should outlaw."

What next?

The tush push ban is one of several measures that NFL owners will be considering, along with the question of whether NFL players should be allowed to participate in flag football during the 2028 Summer Olympics. This will culminate in a "plan to revisit and vote on the proposal," said ESPN.

The vote to ban the tush push needs 24 out of the 32 NFL teams to pass, and not all teams have declared a stance on the measure. But there is a "clear irony to the situation," said NBC Sports. The NFL is "focused on the possibility that a serious injury could possibly happen" with the tush push, but at the same time is also pressing for more kickoff returns — plays which are known to cause injuries.