The Packers might still hold some resentment toward the Philadelphia Eagles, who dismantled Green Bay 22-10 in the wild-card round en route to winning Super Bowl LIX. More than a month after that defeat, the Packers filed a proposal to the NFL’s competition committee to ban the “tush push,” the Athletic’s Diana Russini reported on Monday.
It makes sense that Green Bay would complain about the “tush push,” as its president/CEO Mark Murphy published a postseason column in which he expressed his distaste for the play.
“There is no skill involved,” Murphy wrote. “It is almost an automatic first down on plays of a yard or less.”
Early in the fourth quarter of Philadelphia’s wild-card win over the Packers, Jalen Hurts converted a fourth-and-1.
“The series of plays with the Commanders jumping offsides in the NFC Championship Game to try to stop the play was ridiculous,” Murphy added.
In that game, the Commanders jumped offside four times while trying to prevent the Eagles from scoring on the “tush push” play. They received a warning from the referee, who almost rewarded Philadelphia with free points.
Although the Packers’ proposal didn’t directly target the Eagles, it would heavily impact them. Similar iterations of the “tush push” have graced the NFL over the years, but in 2022, the Eagles popularized the play — otherwise known as the “Brotherly Shove” — to gain an advantage in short-yardage situations. The Eagles converted over 90% of their attempts in 2022, 88.1% in 2023, and 82.4% in 2024.
The Eagles also scored the first touchdown of their 40-22 Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs with their signature move.
The play is effective because the offense knows exactly when they’re going to snap it, while the defense just has to anticipate the snap. In that split-second, when the offense is ahead of the defense, the offensive line can get a push and then the players lined up behind the ball-carrier — usually the quarterback — can help push the runner forward and past the line to gain.
Whining about the “tush push” isn’t uncommon in NFL circles and among fans, but the Eagles aren’t the only team to do it. The Buffalo Bills employed it regularly with their bulky quarterback, Josh Allen, but on a crucial play in the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 26, Allen was stuffed on a fourth-down “tush push” try. The Chiefs took over with quality field position and went on to score a go-ahead touchdown that helped them defeat the Bills 32-29.
Even so, Bills coach Sean McDermott brought up player safety concerns while speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine on Monday.
“The way that the techniques that are used with the play, to me, have been potentially contrary to the health and safety of the players,” McDermott, a member of the NFL’s competition committee, said. “You have to go back through, in fairness, to the injury data on the play, but I just think the optics of it I’m not in love with.”
The Eagles had the ideal personnel for the play when sturdy veteran Jason Kelce was at center, and Hurts, with his ability to squat 600 pounds, as the ball-carrier. In 2024, after Kelce retired, and with Cam Jurgens playing through constant back pain, their success rate took a hit, proving the play is a function of the players’ ability and overall durability.
NFL owners will vote on any rule changes when they convene for the league’s annual meeting at the end of March.
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