The Philadelphia Eagles can continue to run the ‘Tush Push’ play for now. The decision to eliminate the ‘Tush Push’ at the NFL owners meetings has been postponed until May, as the league remains divided on banning the play made famous by the Eagles.
Teams had an informal 16-16 vote regarding the ‘Tush Push’, with a requirement of 24 out of 32 votes to implement a ban (75% of the teams).
“I think for everybody, including myself especially, health and safety is the most important thing when evaluating any play,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie stated during the league meetings. “We’ve been very open to whatever data exists on the ‘Tush Push’… there’s just been no data that shows it isn’t a very, very safe play. If it weren’t, we wouldn’t be pushing the ‘Tush Push.’”
So far, the Eagles have successfully converted the controversial play 39 out of 48 times into first downs or touchdowns this season (playoffs included). Of the nine unsuccessful attempts, they rebounded with a successful first down or touchdown on the subsequent play using the ‘Tush Push’ eight times (including two occasions where defensive players jumped offside during this formation).
The only time the ‘Tush Push’ was truly stymied was due to a botched snap in Week 1, which resulted in a field goal on the next play. This marked Cam Jurgens’ first start at center in the NFL after Jason Kelce’s retirement.
“I don’t ever remember a play being banned because a single team or a few teams were running it effectively,” Lurie remarked. “Let the chess match play out. If for any reason it does get banned, we’ll aim to excel in short-yardage situations, as we have many strategies in mind.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addressed safety concerns tied to the ‘Tush Push’, but the league has confirmed that no injuries have stemmed from the play. They have delayed the vote to gather further information in the forthcoming months.
“I think there are safety issues being considered with the ‘Tush Push’,” Goodell noted, referring to the source of much speculation. “We have very little data, but we see the potential risk. It makes a lot of sense to return to the earlier rule banning the pushing or pulling of ball carriers.”
Lurie is keen to access actual data, which the league has yet to provide.
“If it could be unsafe, it’s challenging to make rules on could-bes and should-bes,” he said. “The quarterback sneak is one of the reasons we appreciate using the ‘Tush Push’—it’s seen as a safer play compared to a quarterback sneak.”
While the Eagles are performing exceptionally well with the ‘Tush Push’, they may need to brace for potential changes in the league’s regulations in the coming months.
