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The Green Bay Packers’ proposal to ban one of the most successful plays is dividing the NFL and on Wednesday, it could be banned.
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The odds are stacked against the Packers and others that may want the ‘tush push’ barred, with 24 of the NFL’s 32 teams needing to vote for the ban in order for it to pass.
But The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported last week that momentum was building in the direction of banning the move, which involves the quarterback usually taking the snap under center and diving forward as he is pushed from behind by his teammates.
So, why are some teams in the league in favour of banning the play.
Well, most of them will tell you it is all about player safety, which would be a noble cause if there weren’t examples of the league blatantly ignoring that very topic with other issues.
But more on that later.
Instead, the more cynical view on the matter is that opposing teams and in this case specifically the Packers, are pushing to ban the virtually unstoppable play of an NFC East rival.
After all, according to CBS the Eagles converted 39 of their 48 ‘tush push’ plays last season into a first down or a touchdown.
Buffalo is the only other team to have had some success with its own variation of the play, going 29 of 36.
The Packers, on the other hand, just have a viral video doing the rounds of their ‘attempt’ to run the play with Jordan Love.
Green Bay’s proposal to ban the play sparked a “heated” exchange during the football operations meeting at the league’s annual meeting in Palm Beach, according to ESPN.
The publication reported that two Eagles executives, GM Howie Roseman and assistant GM Jon Ferrari, and two head coaches on the NFL’s competition committee, the Rams’ Sean McVay and Bills’ Sean McDermott, had an “animated side conversation”.
So, what do the league’s coaches think about the proposal?
Well, media had a chance to ask them on Tuesday and while there are some vocal critics of the move, the Eagles have plenty of support too.
Bills coach Sean McDermott said he is concerned with player safety, “even though there’s not significant (medical) data out there to this point” while Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones suggested Dallas will vote against the push.
He explained the team’s issue had more to do with the consistency of the rule.
“We’re looking for consistency as a committee, and we don’t allow pushing,” Jones said, per ESPN.
“We don’t allow the linebackers to push the defensive linemen on extra points and we’re just trying to be consistent.”
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst, meanwhile, claimed NFL medical professionals have “high concerns” about the potential for “catastrophic injuries”.
“I think this is something that needs to be discussed and we need to be proactive about it rather than reactive,” he added.
As for supporters of the play, new Jets head coach Aaron Glenn had a defensive-minded approach as he praised the Eagles for creating a play that was “hard” to defend and added it was his job to “stop” it.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski even hinted that Cleveland could use variations of the play this season, while Houston’s DeMeco Ryans took a similar approach to Glenn in saying it would be “tough” to punish the Eagles for “being really good at something”.
ESPN, meanwhile, reported that Patriots coach Mike Vrabel has “spoken passionately” in favour of the play behind closed doors.
Baltimore’s John Harbaugh seemed to suggest he was in favour of keeping the play given the rules are “pretty narrowly written” but added that “if it’s determined that it’s an injury risk play,” the NFL needs to address it.
Otherwise, he said “it’s just a play in football”.
Andy Reid had a similar take, with the Kansas City coach telling reporters “you probably have to do something about it” if there are genuine player safety concerns but that if not, “it’s a heck of a play”.
Of course, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni was passionate in his defence of the play and said it would be “unfair” to ban it while cheekily warning his former coordinators who are now head coaches to consider carefully which way they vote.
“We’ll see how it goes. All I will say about it is (Jonathan) Gannon, (Shane) Steichen and (Kellen) Moore better vote for it,” Sirianni told NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
“They are in the (head coach) position right now because of that play. So all three, I better have those three votes right there and the Eagles’ vote. I at least know we have four.”
Steichen definitely heard Sirianni’s message loud and clear, telling reporters he is “not in favour” of taking it out.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said on SportsCenter that he spoke to one general manager in the league who “believes this will be passed under the guise of player safety”.
If that does happen, The Athletic’s senior columnist Jason Lloyd wrote that the vote, in the name of player safety, leaves an “impression of weakness”.
“For all of the gadget plays and laterals NFL coaches have drawn up and mastered over the last 60 years, no trick play is more effective than the ‘player safety’ reverse many league officials are calling again this week in stuffy conference rooms on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean,” Lloyd wrote.
“This time it’s the ‘tush push’, the Philadelphia Eagles’ unstoppable short-yardage play. As the league gathers here to vote Tuesday on whether to abolish the unique form of the quarterback sneak, let’s be clear: This isn’t a player safety issue, no matter how many coaches or general managers want to frame it as such.
“Teams have unsuccessfully tried for years to stop it. Now they’re giving up on the idea of defending it on the field and instead attempting to ban it without any data to support their cause.”
Lloyd went on to argue if the vote does get through it will be “another example” of “hypocrisy” in the NFL, pointing out that the league has plenty of data to act on other issues, such as the rate of injuries on grass compared to turf fields, citing a study from Mass General Brigham last year which found that about 20 per cent more non-contact injuries take place on turf surfaces.
Jalen Hurts and offensive tackle Jordan Mailata. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)Source: APMeanwhile, 92 per cent of players said in an NFLPA survey last year that they prefer playing on natural grass as opposed to turf.
“Has the league worked to ban turf as a player safety issue? Of course not. Roughly half the league still plays on it,” Lloyd added.
“It’s disingenuous to identify the tush push as standing up for player safety when the league closes its eyes to real safety concerns, such as adding an 18th game.”
One team executive agreed with Lloyd’s opinion on the matter, telling ESPN the proposal to ban the tush push is “weak.”
“It’s punishing a team who became excellent at executing the play. In 2022, when Philadelphia was the only team doing it, there was a concern that it made the game less compelling because fourth-and-short was no longer in doubt. Then other teams copied it, and they can’t do it as well,” the exec told ESPN.
“It reeks of jealousy.”
