Roger Goodell reportedly wants ‘tush push’ removed from NFL ‘permanently’

National Football League

Published Dec. 2, 2023 10:33 p.m. ET

The legality of the “tush push” – or “brotherly shove” – has been debated for well over a year as the Philadelphia Eagles have found great success running the play. However, if the NFL’s most important voice gets his way, the debate could end soon.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wants the play to be permanently banned from the league, according to a recent report from The Athletic.

While Goodell reportedly wants to see the play removed, banning the play would have to be voted on by the competition committee and passed for the owners to vote on it. Three members of the committee are part of teams in the NFC East (Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones, Giants owner John Mara and Commanders head coach Ron Rivera), while the Eagles aren’t represented on the eight-person board. Goodell is not a part of the committee.

Any rule change needs the approval of at least 24 of the league’s 32 owners.

Even though several teams in the league have adopted their own iteration of the play, the Eagles have been the team to use the “tush push” with the most success. In short down-and-distance situations, the Eagles will have multiple players lined up right behind quarterback Jalen Hurts, pushing him while center Jason Kelce helps clear the way to get the necessary yardage.

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Philadelphia has had a 93.5% success rate when running the play since the start of the 2022 season as of Oct. 18, The Athletic found. Hurts has four 1-yard rushing touchdowns in five games since Oct. 18.

Even though almost all 22 players on the field converge on plays where the “tush push” is used, there haven’t been many injuries to occur from the play, according to The Athletic. Kelce, however, accused Bills defensive tackle Jordan Phillips of trying to injure right guard Cam Jurgens in their most recent game.

“I thought it was bulls–– at the time,” Kelce said in an interview with WIP in Philadelphia this week. “I really did. I said so to the official on the field. I said, ‘Listen, I’ve been running that play a lot of years. I have seen people jump offsides. He made zero effort to stop after he jumped offsides.’ He purposely tried to hurt Cam Jurgens. I thought it should have been a personal foul and I think he should be fined for that play.”

Kelce also acknowledged the brutality the “tush push” can cause in an interview with NBC in October.

“All the weight and everything lying up on top of you, and you’ve got to wait for everybody else to get up before you can get up,” Kelce said. “It’s a grueling play, for sure. And, you know, if you do it right, you’re at the bottom. … If you’re not at the bottom, it usually didn’t go well.”

Still, Kelce and other members of the Eagles have stated the play shouldn’t be outlawed.

“First of all, abomination is a strong word,” Kelce said in response to a media member comparing the “tush push” to a rugby play on his podcast in September. “You usually hear that with like serial killers or like … that’s like against the lord. What’s the definition of abomination, ungodly? That’s a strong word for a quarterback sneak play.

“So what do we want it outlawed for? Just because it’s a really, really successful play? Or it’s like unfair?”

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