The Packers’ controversial proposal to ban the ‘tush push’ was the subject of intense debate at league meetings at the beginning of April, leading to a postponement of a formal vote on the measure.
Packers team president Mark Murphy said that the NFL’s competition committee was “pretty strongly in favor” of the proposed ban, according to ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler, though the league’s full 32-team voting body was evenly split.
Discussions surrounding the rule change have expanded to include other instances of pushing or pulling ballcarriers, not just “immediately at the snap,” as Green Bay’s proposed language currently reads.
That would be a more substantial shift, representing a return to pre-2005 rules banning all pushing of ballcarriers, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.
Murphy said that the Packers are going to look at the league’s previous language and expressed optimism that the revised rule will pass, according to NBC Sports’ Michael David Smith.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell indicated his support for a broader proposal, saying it “makes a lot of sense in many ways.”
“There are a lot of plays where you see people pushing or pulling somebody that are not in the tush push formation that I think do have an increased risk of injury,” Goodell said (via Kahler). “So I think the committee will look at that and come back in May with some proposals.”
Multiple teams expressed reservations about the seemingly-targeted nature of the rule change, per Kahler. Only two teams – the Eagles and the Bills – used the tush push more than five times in 2024, though Bills head coach Sean McDermott emerged as a surprising voice in favor of the ban.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni remained a vocal opponent of Green Bay’s proposal after originating the play in 2022.
The Packers cited player safety as one of the primary reasons for their proposal, setting off a debate about the injury risks associated with the little-used ‘tush push.’
It accounted for just 0.28 percent of all plays in 2024 without any significant injuries occurring in that small sample size.
NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills presented information on potential injury risks at the Combine and league meetings in Florida, saying (via Kahler)
“It’s not if but when a catastrophic injury occurs.”
Sills shared projected injury data based on modeling of the play, and medical consultants have echoed concerns about the potential of a major injury resulting from the play, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
Unsurprisingly, Murphy backed Sills, arguing that “the nature and the makeup of the play really does lend itself [to injury]” given the force of so many players concentrated on a single point.
Other teams are less convinced by the injury data, but warned that the league could regret a decision not to ban the tush push if a major injury does occur.
Murphy believes that a broader proposal will sway at least the eight teams required for the measure to pass. The Packers are expected to present their revised language at the next set of league meetings in May, setting the table for an official vote of all 32 teams.
