The Philadelphia Eagles reached the Super Bowl last season with the help of the tush push. With the play now becoming increasingly popular around the game, the National Football League is reportedly considering a ban on the move beginning in 2024.
Philadelphia unleashed the tush push in 2022, with it playing a fairly critical role in the team winning the NFC championship. Because of the uniqueness of the play and the massive advantage the Eagles had with it, some NFL rules analysts expected the league to step in and nullify it before the 2023 season.
Related: Why the Tush Push should be outlawed by the NFL
Instead, the so-called tush push is more popular than ever. While it’s primarily done with running back, a few clubs have attempted it with a tight end taking the direct snap and then being pushed by his teammates. However, no team has had nearly as much success as Philadelphia.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Eagles’ offense had the fourth-highest success rate (91%) on push sneak plays from the start of the 2022 NFL season to Week 4 of this year. However, the Eagles had attempted it 46 times whereas the Buffalo Bills (100%, 12), Chicago Bears (100%, seven) and Pittsburgh Steelers (100%, 6) have only done it on a handful of occasions.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, conversations around the league regarding the tush push have ramped up in recent weeks. With the NFL’s competition committee planning to examine the design of the play this offseason, there’s debate around the league over whether or not it should be banned.
Some in league circles reportedly view it as an “ugly” looking play that is simply an extreme exploitation of the rulebook and the NFL needs to step in and end it. When league officials allowed for teams to push players, it was meant for instances when a play is downfield and not just to push a player just past the line of scrimmage.
However, per Russini, there’s far more support for keeping the tush push than banning it right now. Furthermore, NFL officials are currently putting an emphasis on referees to ensure teams are following the rules and not abusing them.
The Eagles’ success with the tush push can largely be credited to their personnel. Standing at 6-foot-1, 223 pounds and capable of squatting 600 pounds, Hurts is uniquely perfect for the play. Plus, Philadelphia’s offensive line is one of the most talented and well-coached units in the NFL.
As long as there aren’t more instances of players being injured during the tush push, which happened when the New York Giants did it poorly earlier this year, the NFL likely won’t have enough support to ditch the “tush push” or “brotherly shove” anytime soon.