The National Football League’s controversial short-yardage strategy commonly called the “tush push” appears unlikely to face another prohibition attempt this year, according to a top league official.
Rich McKay, who serves as co-chairman of the NFL’s competition committee, indicated Sunday that no franchise has submitted a proposal targeting the disputed play.
“There’s no team proposal that I’ve seen from it,” McKay stated after committee meetings concluded at the NFL combine in Indianapolis. “So, I wouldn’t envision it. But you never know.”
The league witnessed intense discussions surrounding the rugby-inspired play throughout 2025, culminating in a failed ban proposal during owners meetings last May. That effort fell two votes shy of the necessary 24-vote threshold, ultimately failing with a 22-10 tally according to ESPN’s reporting.
Philadelphia has popularized the technique, dubbing it the “Brotherly Shove,” which typically involves Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts receiving the snap in tight-yardage scenarios before driving forward while teammates provide a push from behind.
Green Bay originally championed the prohibition effort, reportedly encouraged by league officials who raised player safety questions. However, the NFL has not released health statistics to substantiate those safety claims.
The Packers initially proposed in February 2025 to prevent offensive players from immediately pushing teammates positioned directly behind the center when taking snaps, ESPN documented. League owners postponed that discussion during March 2025 meetings.
Green Bay later modified their proposal to forbid pushing any ball carrier anywhere on the field, essentially restoring a rule that existed until 2005, according to ESPN’s coverage. This revised version also failed to gain approval at the May gathering.
Officials faced additional scrutiny during the 2025 season, with reports indicating they received instructions to monitor more closely whether offensive linemen moved prematurely before snap counts.
ESPN’s data shows Philadelphia executed the play 27 times while Buffalo used it 17 times to lead all teams among 112 total attempts in 2025, compared to 101 total uses in 2024. Success rates for first-down conversions reached 82% from 2022-24 and dropped slightly to 76.8% last season, per ESPN statistics.
McKay also revealed Sunday that committee members have explored potential changes to playoff seeding methods, though no formal proposal has emerged. The group has additionally examined catch rule applications, which drew significant attention during last season’s postseason play.
“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,” McKay explained, “but it does present challenges for others. 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.”
