Eagles won't love Roger Goodell's Tush Push suggestion

Scrutiny over the Philadelphia Eagles’ tush push continues to dominate the NFL’s spring meetings. The Green Bay Packers' proposal to ban the controversial play kicked off another round of critiques of the Eagles' short-yardage play. Owners voted to shoot down a proposal designed to specifically ban one play at the league’s annual spring meetings.

However, Roger Goodell’s comments on Tuesday implied that the league isn’t done examining the issue, via Jeff Skversky. 

“I think there are safety issues that are being considered,” Goodell said. “We have very little data from it, but it's beyond data.  There's also the mechanism of injury that we study … that leads us to show the risk involved with a particular play.”

The tush push, which tasks teammates with pushing quarterback Jalen Hurts into the end zone from behind, has been one of the most effective plays in the NFL. Usage of the tush push has aided the Eagles through two Super Bowl appearances and one world in three seasons. The Bills and Eagles ran 65 of the 101 Tush Push runs in 2024.

However, opposing teams have claimed, without evidence, that tush push scrums are a danger to players. However, hypothetical injuries are flimsy excuses in the minds of the league’s owners. 

Goodell added that the league could look into amending the pre-2005 rule on pushing ball carriers as another avenue, but offered scant details on the matter.

“I do think there's a lot of discussion about going back to the previous rule [pre-2005]. …  There's a lot of discussion about going back to the previous rule,” Goodell said.

“The reality of that is, I think that makes a lot of sense in many ways because that expands it beyond just that single play,” Goodell added. “There are a lot of plays where you see someone pushing or pulling somebody that are not in the tush push formation that I think do have an increased risk of injury. And so, I think the committee will look at that and come back in May with some proposals.”

Goodell may still engineer a tush push ban

Goodell’s comments demonstrate the league’s ongoing struggle to conjure up valid justifications to implement restrictions on the most impactful play in football. The NFL’s health and safety department has been unable to find data that would indicate that a single injury had occurred as a result of any team using the tush push. Meanwhile, NFL Competition Committee chairman Rich McKay explained that the league dislikes league rule changes that target specific teams. 

The Eagles have become a nearly unstoppable short-yardage or goal-line offense over the last three years due to the Brotherly Shove’s efficacy. After three years, the NFL's Competition Committee has failed to find valid excuse to ban the tush push. However, Roger Goodell is on the case.

Owners around the league will continue searching for avenues to ban the play. For now, critics of the Eagles' signature play have been unable to find 24 votes. Tush push detractors will have a second chance to review the legality of the play at their spring meeting on May 20-21 in Eagan, MN.