'Tush push' among 3 NFL rule changes under consideration for the 2025 season
The Philadelphia Eagles dropped the Green Bay Packers from the NFL playoffs in the wild-card round in January. The Packers sought retribution for that loss not long later.
The Football Operations department of the NFL announced Wednesday that Green Bay suggested a rule modification that would almost eradicate the "tush push."
During their annual league meeting, which will take place between March 30 and April 2, the Packers' proposal is one of three the NFL will discuss. These proposed rules are only ideas for now; they won't formally take effect unless authorized.
The Packers' genuine suggestion seeks to alter the text of an already-existing rule rather than incorporate the term "tush push."
Any offensive player "from pushing a teammate who was lined up directly behind the snapper and receives the snap, immediately at the snap," the plan seeks to penalize.
That aptly captures the "tush push," a modified quarterback sneak adopted by the Eagles during the 2022 season. The Eagles rely mostly on the play on important third and fourth downs, and they are usually good in grabbing first downs when running it.
Apart from the great leg strength of Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, a component of what makes the play successful is the additional push Hurts gets from the players lined up in the backfield. They provide him more drive to pass the first-down marker.
Had this idea been implemented, the playoffs last season would have been quite different. The Minnesota Vikings were the fifth seed in the NFL playoff even finishing 14-3.
The team thus had to travel to play the Los Angeles Rams even though the Rams had a 10-7 record for the regular season. The Rams defeated the Vikings out of the playoffs by 27-9.
At its annual meeting, which begins March 30, will decide if any of those rule changes or bylaw recommendations the league adopts by 2025.