A vote to decide whether the tush push will be outlawed from the NFL has been pushed until May.
At the annual league meetings on Tuesday, NFL team owners agreed to table the vote on a proposal to ban the play that became the Philadelphia Eagles’ calling card over the past couple of seasons.
The postponement means debates over the play will rage on as teams and the league gather more information. Tush push proponents have presented arguments on why the play should continue to be part of the game, while those who oppose it have made a case for getting rid of it.
While the tush push, also colloquially referred to as the “Brotherly Shove,” is safe for the time being, Eagles offensive lineman Lane Johnson sent a clear message to critics.
FALCONS HEAD COACH EXPRESSES DISTASTE FOR EAGLES’ TUSH PUSH: ‘SHOULD’VE BEEN ILLEGAL 3 YEARS AGO’
The six-time Pro Bowler suggested any team that took issue with the play was jealous. “Hate us cause they ain’t us!” Johnson wrote on X Tuesday.
While other teams have adopted similar versions of the tush push over the past couple of seasons, none have successfully run it like the Eagles. Philadelphia’s offensive line as well as quarterback Jalen Hurts’ lower-body strength seem to create the perfect formula for the short-yardage play.
The Eagles used a pair of emojis on X as they appeared to chime in amid the latest tush push chatter.
The spotlight was placed on the tush push during the NFC Championship game when Washington Commanders players intentionally jumped offsides to try and stop the play.
While the NFL has said it has not gathered enough data to conclude that the tush push is an inherently dangerous play, some coaches and others around the league continue to have health and safety concerns.
Eagles owner Jeffery Lurie addressed those concerns at the annual meetings.
“I think for everybody, including myself especially – health and safety is the most important thing when evaluating any play,” Lurie said. “We’ve been very open to whatever data exists on the Tush Push, there’s just been no data that shows that it isn’t a very, very safe play. If it weren’t, we wouldn’t be pushing the Tush Push.”
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