The Eagles didn’t invent the quarterback sneak. But they’ve redefined it so thoroughly that the league now feels compelled to rewrite the rules. Philadelphia ran the quarterback sneak, backed by a downhill shove from behind, 44 times in 2024 and converted 36 of them. It wasn’t just efficient. It became part of the team’s identity, a short-yardage answer no one could match. Now, less than three months removed from a Super Bowl win, that play could be gone by the end of May.
The NFL’s Spring League Meeting in Nashville (May 20–21) is expected to revisit the proposed rule change first introduced in March, when the Packers submitted language aimed at banning direct pushing of the quarterback after the snap. The proposal didn’t go to a vote at the Annual Meeting, but there’s growing momentum behind a change.
On the Pat McAfee Show during the drafts, Packers HC Matt LaFleur was asked if he would like to say anything to Roger Goodell to “argue your point on banning it”, and amid laughter, LaFleur said, “I think he’s on our side on this one – it’s more of a rugby scrum – whatever the league decides, we’ll adjust to.” And later on the show, Roger Goodell made an appearance, and the discussion was brought up again. As Goodell put it, “…Since 1920 to 2005, you couldn’t push or pull a player anywhere on the field – A lot of coaches would tell you that’s not part of football, right. It may be rugby but it’s not us.” So, Goodell has made his stance clear once again. With the Spring League Meeting a few weeks out, the Eagles might have their work cut out for them.
“The Competition Committee has been talking about the Tush Push..
I think that the 32 teams will be able to develop a consensus” ~ @nflcommish #PMSLive https://t.co/bcRAfx2jhY pic.twitter.com/uhqP9y9TLl
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 25, 2025
The proposal had officially come from the Green Bay Packers, who submitted language earlier this offseason that would outlaw any direct pushing of the quarterback immediately after the snap. It’s a nuanced rule revision, but its impact would be binary: it would eliminate the Tush Push as we know it. Packers President Mark Murphy, speaking at the league’s Annual Meeting in Orlando in March, didn’t mince words. “There is no skill involved,” Murphy said. “It’s bad for the game. We should go back to prohibiting the push of the runner.”
Yet the league didn’t vote. The Competition Committee tabled the discussion and deferred it to the Spring League Meeting. The reasoning? A consensus didn’t yet exist. Now, with less than three weeks to go, the league is bracing for another ideological fight: should physical dominance be legislated out of the game, or is the Tush Push merely a reflection of the Eagles out-executing opponents?
On the show, Goodell had also added, “The second thing is really the safety of the game – And that’s of primary importance to us. Is it a play that’s unsafe when you’re in those positions where you’re getting pushed or pulled and you can’t control where you’re going. Those are the two factors.”
The ‘safety issue’ of the ‘Tush Push’ has already been discussed a lot of times, not just by league officials, but coaches too. Goodell concluded with, “I think as people see the different things the committee has been considering and hear the conversation, I think that they’ll actually develop a consensus.” So, a consensus might finally be forming about the ‘Tush Push’. But for the consensus, a majority of votes will be required. But as far as the franchises go, the coaches have divided opinions.
Andy Reid and the NFL coaches on the ‘Tush Push’
In the previous season, the Eagles have converted 81% of their attempts at ‘Tush Push’. With Jalen Hurts squatting 600 pounds, this becomes a near-impossible play to stop. Why not just call it ‘art’ at this point? And while Matt LaFleur is all for scrapping the “rugby play”, other coaches aren’t all exactly on board. The Patriots HC Mike Vrabel had said, “There’s a lot of plays that are hard to defend, and I don’t think that you can get rid of them every time that you have a tough time stopping it.” And Eagles HC Nick Sirianni has already cleared up how he felt about all of this. He wasn’t mincing words he said, “I almost feel a little insulted because we work so hard at that play.”
Credits – Imago
According to Chiefs HC Andy Reid, during the last NFL annual meeting, “I’ve felt like it’s a successful play – If there’s a problem with injury, possible injury, you’ve got to look at it. So, I would listen, probably, to the medical people on it, see what they think about the body mechanics. – I think you have to listen to the whole story.” Many have already floated injury concerns against the play. Andy Reid further added, “I give them credit because they’ve done a heck of a job with it. Tough play to stop. – But I would say, if it’s putting a player in a bad position, then you probably have to do something about it. But if it’s not, it’s a heck of a play.” Even after being defeated by the Eagles last season, Andy Reid still commends the Eagles on developing the “heck of a play.”
All signs point to the league doing away with the ‘Tush Push’. But the league will certainly need the majority of votes to make the call. With many coaches in support of the play, it’s no wonder the league couldn’t come to a consensus last time. Will we see a repeat of the last meeting’s dilemma this time around as well? Or will more teams be in favor of taking a weapon away from the Super Bowl champs’ arsenal? It would certainly increase their odds against the Eagles. Looks like we’ll finally know before May ends.
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