The Tush Push is dead. Long live the Tush Push.

The Philadelphia Eagles' short-yardage play has become the NFL's most controversial tactic. The modified quarterback sneak, where teammates line up behind the QB and literally shove him forward, has been a money play for the Birds since they perfected it in 2022. With conversion rates exceeding 80% for first downs and touchdowns over the past three seasons, and a mind-blowing 97.9% effective success rate when you count follow-up attempts—it’s clear why opposing teams don’t like it.

NFL owners recently voted on a proposal submitted by the Green Bay Packers to ban the play, with their argument centered around player safety concerns. NFL Executive Troy Vincent later confirmed the league's internal data showed a 0% (ZERO PERCENT) injury rate on Tush Push plays in 2024. Regardless, the vote resulted in a perfect 16-16 split among teams, causing the league to table the decision until May. 

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell recently said “it makes a lot of sense to go back to the old rule prohibiting pulling or pushing ball carriers,” and NFL Competition Committee Co-Chairman Rich McKay added in a recent press conference that deciding to ban the play isn’t just about health and safety, but also about “the aesthetics of the play.” 

This May delay now gives time to potentially tweak the language until they can get enough votes from owners to ban the Tush Push. Even though the play is available to everybody and only the Eagles and Buffalo Bills appear to run it successfully (or at all)—the writing is on the wall. The Tush Push / Brotherly Shove is currently on death row. 

And I'm glad, because as a diehard Eagles fan, I hope they ban the Tush Push. I honestly can't wait until they ban the Tush Push.

Why? Because the second they change that rule, I will never shut up about it. Every argument from that point forward with a Dallas Cowboys fan or Kansas City Chiefs fan will include a line about how the league had to step in and change the rules because the Eagles were too good. 

It’s reminiscent of basketball rule changes around Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Wilt’s talent and athleticism forced the NBA to ban goaltending in 1956, widen the lane in 1964, and specify free throw rules since he was just taking off from behind the line and dunking it. From 1967-1976, the NCAA banned dunking altogether because of Kareem’s dominance around the rim. 

This is the ultimate bragging point as a fan. Many teams have won Super Bowls—fewer have forced rule changes. My team was so good at something that the league had to band together and change the rules to make things fair for the rest of the teams? Hilarious! A season where the Eagles scored the most points in NFL playoff history, blew out the back-to-back champs in the Super Bowl, and punked the rest of the league into banning one of their plays? 

I will never shut up about this.

And make no mistake—the Eagles will still be fantastic in short yardage. You may have heard once or twice or 500 times that our quarterback, Jalen Hurts, can squat 600 lbs. Or that the team has a massive and all-time dominant offensive line filled with All-Pro level players. Or that the team employs perhaps the best and most respected offensive line coach ever in Jeff Stoutland. The Philadelphia Eagles aren't successful on the play because of some magic Tush Push dust—these are the reasons why the Eagles are good at the Tush Push and other teams aren’t. It's the personnel, not the play. They'll likely be just as good at QB sneaks or whatever funky version of the Brotherly Shove they come up with that is crybaby rules-compliant.

Knowing that, I can't help but love the Tush Push ban.

"If you scared, say you scared."

The majority of the league just said they're scared. LOL get your defensive line weight up, cowards. Go Birds.