NFL team submits proposal to ban Eagles’ tush push

Momentum continues to grow toward a ban of the now-famous Philadelphia Eagles’ tush push, a quarterback sneak play in which several players get behind the quarterback and attempt to push him past the first down marker.

The play has become popular across the NFL, but few teams run it effectively as the Eagles.

Could it be in jeopardy, though?

According to NFL.com columnist Judy Battista, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said a proposal has been raised to ban the tush push by an unnamed NFL team.

A report from Dianna Russini of ESPN indicated the Green Bay Packers are the team that submitted the proposal to ban the tush push, citing sources.

The play has come under scrutiny in recent months, perhaps highlighted by a bit of a fiasco in the NFC Championship Game.

Following that, FOX Sports rules expert Mike Pereira suggested there was growing momentum to ban the play in the game.

“I think it will be a conversation. I think what happened in the championship game was ugly,” Pereira said, according to the Washington Post’s Mark Maske. “I think with the ugliness of that, they’ll take a further look at it… I think it’ll continue being looked at, and maybe somewhere down the road making a change.”

The tush push was the central play in a controversy in the NFC Championship Game between the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles that saw a little-known rule invoked.

After running back Saquon Barkley carried the ball down inside the 2-yard line, Philadelphia set up to run its now famous “tush push.”

The Commanders, in an attempt to stop the play from scoring, went about things in an interesting fashion. Linebacker Frankie Luvu crashed the play hard trying to anticipate the snap count, launching over the line and hitting quarterback Jalen Hurts.

He did it once and the penalty was awarded for half the distance to the goal. Then he did it again. Officials noted that the Commanders had been warned about the behavior.

On the following snap, a different player in the middle of the line jumped early and was penalized for encroachment, the third straight play that the Commanders had been flagged for a pre-snap penalty.

This time, the head referee took an even more stark approach after multiple attempts at the tush push.

“Encroachment, defense No. 93,” Shawn Hochuli said. “Washington has been advised that at some point the referee can award a score if this type of behavior happens again. For now, it’s a replay of second down.”

That announcement caught everyone off guard. Referees can simply award a touchdown? Apparently so.

But what was lost in the discussion is how difficult it is to stop the tush push and whether it should be allowed in the first place. Could the play be removed from the sport soon?

It sounds like at least one team is hoping so.