Matt LaFleur explains why the Packers proposed to ban tush push

The Green Bay Packers launched a proposal to ban the tush push ahead of the 2025 NFL season. Head coach Matt LaFleur explained why at the NFL Annual Meeting in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Tuesday.

LaFleur said it’s not a “great football play.” He added injury concerns as a result of the play, as other coaches have brought up.

Matt LaFleur says the tush push isn’t a “great football play. It’s more of a rugby play.” Also has safety concerns.

His full answer on proposing the ban: pic.twitter.com/dBcLlWEW7N

— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) April 1, 2025

“When you look at the play, I would say I don’t think it’s a great football play. It’s more of a rugby play,” LaFleur said, via Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. “And then some of the injury concerns — wanted to kind of get out in front of that and be little more proactive.”

The tush push, also known as the brotherly shove, is a quarterback sneak play in which several players get behind the quarterback and attempt to push him past the first down marker. It’s been a highly effective play for the Philadelphia Eagles, allowing them to move the chains on third/fourth and short situations. Jalen Hurts has benefitted from the play at the goal line, with 42 rushing scores over the last three seasons.

Green Bay’s proposal to ban the tush push has support within the competition committee, ESPN reported Sunday. The NFL’s internal data shows that the tush push led to zero injuries in 2024. The Packers and LaFleur are trying to be proactive and get out ahead of a potential injury in the future.

“We do it, too. But we’re gonna adjust to whatever the rules may be. If it doesn’t go through, it doesn’t go through,” LaFleur said. “We’re always trying to constantly look at everything. When you look at player safety, I think that should be at the forefront of everybody’s mind in this league.”

Eagles HC Nick Sirianni fires back at tush push critics, reacts to proposal to ban play

The Packers have some allies. Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott is an advocate to ban the play and like LaFleur, cited the health and safety aspect.

“I’ve dove deeper into more of the data on it and just thought more about it as well, and my position hasn’t really changed at all,” McDermott said. “Where I’m most concerned is, even though there’s not significant data out there to this point, my biggest concern is the health and safety of the players, first and foremost.

“It’s force, added force, and then the posture of the players, being asked to execute that type of play, that’s where my concern comes in.”

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni addressed the matter at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Sirianni called it “insulting” and “unfair” for the Packers to propose a ban of the tush push.

“I almost feel a little insulted because we work so hard at that play,” Sirianni said. “The amount of things that we’ve looked into how to coach that play, the fundamentals. There’s 1000 plays out there, but it comes down to how you teach the fundamentals and how the players go through the fundamentals. … The fact that it’s a successful play for the Eagles and people want to take that away, I think is a little unfair.”