Tush push ban: Why you shouldn’t expect NFL rule change in the 2026 offseason

After the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LIX, there was a push from around the league to ban their signature play, the Tush Push.

Do not expect a similar effort this offseason.

The NFL world is in Indianapolis, ahead of this week’s Scouting Combine. But following a day of meetings, NFL competition committee co-chairman Rich McKay said on Sunday that there has not been a proposal to ban the play, a year after fierce debate led to a vote that nearly passed.

“There’s no team proposal that I’ve seen from it,” McKay said on Sunday ahead of the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. “So, I wouldn’t envision it. But you never know.”

Last year a ban on the Tush Push was among many potential rule changes considered by the league. That effort was led by the Green Bay Packers, who lost to the Eagles to open their season, and to close their season in the Wild Card round.

Green Bay’s proposal called for a ban on offensive players immediately pushing a teammate who is lined up directly behind the snapper.

Under NFL rules, 24 owners are required to vote for a potential change for a proposal to pass. When the Packers’ proposed rule change was initially put forth, only 16 owners came out in favor of the change, so the idea was tabled until league meetings in March.

Green Bay then revised their proposed rule change, arguing for a complete ban on any players pushing a ball carrier, in essence arguing for a rule that was in place until the 2005 season. That proposal was put to a vote, and fell two owners shy of passage.

Interestingly enough, while the Tush Push remained in effect for the 2025 season, the Eagles were not the team that benefited most from the play. League-wide, there were more tush pushes in 2025 (112) than in 2024, when there were 101. And while Philadelphia used the play more than any other team, running it 27 times,

Overall, the NFL saw slightly more tush pushes in 2025 (112) than in 2024 (101). The Eagles (33) and Bills (27) by far led the league in attempts, according to TushPush.fyi — what an incredible idea for a website, by the way — but Philadelphia’s conversion rate on those plays was just 64%, a far cry from their success rate during their Super Bowl run.

Beyond the Tush Push, McKay does not anticipate many rule changes this offseason. “The game is in a pretty good place,” he said following Sunday’s meetings.

There has already been one proposal from the Los Angeles Rams, who are looking to address what happened on a two-point try from the Seattle Seahawks against the Rams back in Week 16.

Here is the play in question:

Other ideas that have been floated in recent days include a change to playoff seeding, and potentially another look at the NFL’s catch/no-catch procedures. According to McKay, technological advances might give the league another way to determine whether a catch has been made during the course of a game. “Our technology today is extraordinary, so the ability to go frame by frame and slow things down, it’s a great solution for a lot of things but it does present challenges for others,” said McKay. “We need to make sure your rules, as written, don’t just match up [with] what’s on the field but how it’s looked at in replay.”

But do not expect another push to ban the Tush Push.