NFL not expecting proposal to ban tush push
NFL competition committee co-chairman Rich McKay doesn't expect an attempt to ban the tush push in 2026 following last offseason's heated debates about the short-yardage play.
"There's no team proposal that I've seen from it," McKay said Sunday at the NFL Scouting Combine, per ESPN's Mike Reiss and Kevin Seifert. "So, I wouldn't envision it. But you never know."
NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said the deadline has passed for teams to submit proposals to ban the play, according to Seifert.
The Green Bay Packers submitted a proposal to ban the tush push in February 2025, citing safety issues and competitiveness as reasons to remove it from the game. But the NFL requires approval from 24 owners to enact a rule change, and only 22 of 32 teams voted for the motion.
While the tush push was once considered a nearly automatic way to pick up first downs, defenses appear to be finding more success against the play. The tush push's first-down conversion rate dipped slightly last season, falling to 76.8% after working on 82% of attempts from 2022-24.
The tush push was also used slightly more during the 2025 campaign, with teams running the play 112 times compared to 101 in 2024. The Philadelphia Eagles (27) and Buffalo Bills (17) led the league in attempts last season.
Other teams have put their own twist on the play, which conventionally involves the quarterback sneaking forward while being pushed by his teammates in the backfield. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and Seattle Seahawks have used a tight end as the ball carrier instead.
The play came under further scrutiny following the Eagles' 20-17 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 14, 2025. The NFL acknowledged the tush push makes it difficult to officiate pre-snap movement.
Meanwhile, the competition committee is considering allowing replay officials to throw flags for "non-football acts" that go unpenalized by on-field officials.
McKay doesn't envision this being a "big year" for proposed rule changes. "The game is in a pretty good place," he added.