Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson made fun of the NFL’s U-turn on the tush push in a post on X. NFL insider Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday that discussions about the play are off the agenda for next week’s NFL owners’ meeting.
Johnson reposted Schefter’s report on X, adding a laughing emoji as a reaction. The player’s reaction is instructive because he’s a part of the Eagles’ offense that popularized the play in the 2024 season.
Thanks for the submission!
•
The tush push is a version of the quarterback sneak, used to devastating effect by the Eagles in the 2024 season. They dominated defenses with the play, claiming the ultimate prize in the Super Bowl.
Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!
The Green Bay Packers proposed to ban the play at the 2025 annual meeting. However, the proposal fell through by just two votes. A year later, the league doesn’t seem as bothered anymore, as Philadelphia failed to replicate the success it wrought with the play this past season. Per Schefter’s report, the play will make a return to the league next season.
Despite this development, however, NFL Competition Committee Co-Chairman Rich McKay said debates around the legality of the play will continue.
“I don’t know that it’s the end of the debate,” McKay said. “I think there’s still people who are concerned with the whole pushing element.”
According to the former Falcons CEO, the play may be set for a decline as defenses get better at stopping it. He added that the league’s data indicate that the traditional quarterback sneaks now have a higher success rate than the tush push.
He explained that the league is now prioritizing ensuring consistent officiating of the play, including accurately timing the whistle on the play.
Analyst criticizes NFL’s U-turn on tush push
NBC Sports’ Mike Florio tore into NFL teams on Wednesday following the revelation that the league owners won’t discuss the tush push this year. The analyst concluded that the league’s initial concerns about the play had more to do with the Eagles’ success than other factors cited, like safety.
“The Eagles had found something that they could do well, no one could stop, and no one else could do,” Florio said. “Now that the Eagles didn’t win the Super Bowl, tush push takes a back burner to other things for 2026.”
The NFL annual meeting is scheduled to start on Sunday, Mar. 26, in Phoenix, Arizona.
Edited by Kayode Akinwumi
