The Green Bay Packers submitted a proposal to the NFL’s competition committee to ban the “tush push,” according to league sources Monday.
The play, which is also sometimes called the “Brotherly Shove,” is essentially a designed quarterback run that is predominantly used by the Philadelphia Eagles in short-yardage situations. It usually involves Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts taking a snap from under center and diving forward while being pushed from behind by a couple of his teammates.
Philadelphia began using the play in recent years — including during Doug Pederson’s head coaching tenure from 2016-20 with Carson Wentz under center — and it has become a topic of discussion around the league. It was raised by the competition committee ahead of the 2023 season but was not put up for a vote at the time.
Several months later in Dec. 2023, NFL executive vice president of communications Jeff Miller said that “nothing notable” was concluded from the league’s study regarding potential increased injury risk due to the play, either.
It’s been an effective tool for the Eagles since its introduction. Philadelphia finished last season with the fourth-best fourth-down conversion rate in the NFL (70.4 percent) and finished tied for second in the NFL with 29 rushing touchdowns thanks in part to the play. Hurts led all NFL QBs with 14 rushing touchdowns with 13 of those coming in goal-to-go situations, according to TruMedia.
Former Eagles offensive lineman Jason Kelce, the man quite literally at the center of the play before he retired in March 2024, previously said that he believes Philadelphia will find other legal ways to pick up short yardage should the push be banned. Push or not, the Eagles have been the third-most-successful team in yard-to-go situations over the last three seasons with a 73.9% first-down percentage. Only the Baltimore Ravens (75.9 percent) and Pittsburgh Steelers (75.4 percent) have been more effective.
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