Rule proposal does not pass at spring meetings

When news of the proposed rule change first made rounds at the 2025 NFL Combine, a month before any voting, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris made it very clear where he stood on the matter.

“I thought it should have been illegal three years ago,” Morris said. “The tush-push play, I was never a big fan. There’s just no other play in our game where you can absolutely get behind somebody and push them.”

The tush push – also known as the “brotherly shove” – originated in Philadelphia and is rather self-explanatory. Two teammates line up behind Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. Once he receives the snap, the two teammates push him as he lunges forward, hoping to gain enough yards to either score a touchdown or secure a first down.

According to ESPN Research, the Eagles and Bills have combined to run 163 tush-push plays in the last three seasons, which is more than the rest of the NFL combined. They have scored a touchdown or secured a first down on 87% of their attempts, while the rest of the league has been successful on 71%.

This is the second time the tush push has been flagged to the NFL Competition Committee. The first time was three years ago, as Morris noted. At the time, banning the hip-drop tackle was prioritized. Again, the tush push was not.

“I never really understood it,” Morris said, “why that was legal.”