Will the tush push be banned by NFL? Why Eagles’ controversial QB sneak faces uncertain future

Could the tush push be the difference in Super Bowl 59?

The Eagles have mastered it, even without Jason Kelce. The Chiefs seem to have mastered stopping it, or at least limiting it as much as possible. Kansas City clearly had a read on the Bills’ own tush push attempts in the AFC championship game, stopping Josh Allen short of the first-down marker twice despite his size and strength.

Stopping Jalen Hurts, who has the support of the Eagles’ powerful offensive line, might not be so easy.

There’s no doubt Nick Sirianni and Kellen Moore will dial up some tush pushes in New Orleans, but could the Super Bowl be the play’s final game?

Here’s the latest look at the future of the tush push.

What is the Tush Push?

The tush push is a quarterback sneak, but it’s a modern take on the quarterback sneak. Instead of the quarterback running forward for the first down, two players line up behind the quarterback to help push him forward for the first down.

The play is typically only run when a team needs about a yard to pick up a first down (or a touchdown), primarily on third and fourth down.

The Eagles popularized this variation of the play in 2022 when they were successful on all but two tush push attempts. The play was so close to automatic that some fans clamored for the NFL to ban it. The quarterback sneak can’t be banned, but the league could ban the formation that allows two players to line up behind the quarterback and push him forward.

As the Bills proved in the AFC championship game, the tush push might not be automatic for every team. Hurts’ strength and the Eagles’ stout offensive line are a combination that few offenses have, though Philadelphia was able to sustain its tush push success even after Kelce retired.

Will the Tush Push be banned by NFL?

Some fans grew frustrated with the tush push’s wild success rate in 2022 and pressed for the NFL to ban it, a sentiment that was shared by commissioner Roger Goodell, The Athletic reported.

Despite the pressure, no rule change was introduced. NFL executive vice president of football operations said in May 2024 that no proposal would be made to ban the tush push, putting off the possibility of a ban for at least another year.

Of course, the quarterback sneak itself could not be banned. What can be banned is the formation that allows two players to line up behind the quarterback and push him forward. Many argue the play is simply good football and isn’t as successful for other teams, while others claim a quarterback should have to pick up the first down himself without anyone pushing him forward.

The tush push isn’t guaranteed to remain legal long-term despite not being touched last offseason, but the lack of a proposal to outlaw it indicates the play likely isn’t going anywhere in the near future unless fan opposition turns into team opposition.

Is the Tush Push illegal?

The tush push remains legal despite calls during the last two offseasons to outlaw the formation.

The Eagles have run the play frequently this season, including at multiple points during the NFC championship game, and there’s no reason to expect them not to do the same in Super Bowl 59.

Eagles ‘tush push’ success rate

Data from the 2024 season is still coming in, but the Eagles were successful 92.6 percent of the time when running the tush push in 2022. They increased the frequency of the play in 2023 with 42 attempts for an 83.3 percent success rate.

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How to stop the Tush Push

Whatever you do, don’t ask Commanders LB Frankie Luvu how to stop the tush push. He attempted to stop Hurts in the NFC championship game by diving over both his own defensive line and the Eagles’ offensive line, but he kept accruing penalties because he couldn’t time the jump correctly.

So, how were the Chiefs so successful in stopping the tush push against the Bills? The most simple explanation is you need strength to beat strength.

While Kansas City may have picked up on some of Buffalo’s tendencies, including Allen going left more often than not, the most significant factor is that the Chiefs had the strength on their defensive line to match the strength of Allen and the Bills’ offensive line.

The Eagles aren’t necessarily finding so much success because they’re strategic geniuses, though they have plenty of intelligence on their coaching staff. More important than anything is the fact Philadelphia has a quarterback who can squat 600 pounds and an offensive line loaded with enormous humans.

The Chiefs had the strength to match Buffalo’s might, but beating the force of the Eagles’ offense is the toughest test of all.