The Packers’ crusade to ban the tush push will continue next week when NFL owners gather in Minneapolis, according to Mark Maske of The Washington Post.
Green Bay proposed the rule change ahead of the last league meetings in Florida at the end of March, but it was tabled due to narrow wording that appeared to target the Eagles and the Bills. The language is expected to be broadened to cover all instances of pushing or pulling a ballcarrier, per Maske.
“We’ll see if there is a three-quarter consensus on any proposal, specifically the push-play proposal that Green Bay put forward or any other amending it when we get together next week,” said NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller (via Maske).
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Packers team president Mark Murphy both expressed support for an expanded push/pull ban after the initial language failed to generate consensus in March.
The Eagles, who have used the tush push more frequently than any other team, have led opposition to the rule change. They succeeded in slowing initial momentum by arguing that the Packers were singling out a specific execution of the play. However, health and safety concerns surrounding the push play have persisted, especially after a presentation by NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills warning that a catastrophic injury was a matter of when, not if.
The Packers hope that the change will draw more support around the league after teams were split on the original proposal, but a league source remains unsure if the new language will receive the 24 votes required to pass, according to Maske.
Why should this be banned? Sooner or later, it’ll be figured out and be old news. NFL is getting softer by the day
Because football is not rugby. This is a rugby play. They just need to go back to the pre-2006 rule and then actually throw the flag when it happens.
To Mustard Tiger:
Offensive lineman have been pushing RB’s down the field for over 50 years.
link to youtube.com
Cause the NFL can’t say “defenders can’t push piles or shove each other in the back it’s a player safety and injury concern” and then say “offense shove each other how ever much you want ignore player safety and injury concerns”
You either have to let both sides of the ball do it or neither.
Can you imagine if guys were allowed to come up behind Aaron Donald and help push him through the oline? Dude could have broken all time sack records probably gotten 30 in a season
Should it be legal for two guys to grab the QB by an arm and a leg each and literally throw him over the line?
It’s very simple the NFL is an entertainment business first and foremost. Tush push is bad TV it takes the excitement and drama out of short yardage high intensity situations.
I kind of agree with this statement although the league loves offense if teams all get good enough at it the short yardage situations with possession on the line may become moot and that’s an exciting scenario to see. I don’t blame the Eagles for coming up with it and perfecting it but others will follow suit and it will in a small percentage way make the game less exciting and dramatic. If it’s true that it puts players safety more at risk than a normal fourth and inches it’ll make it even easier to ban. Do you think kick off return specialists were happy to see the ball moved up and booted through the back of the end zone? No. But the league is always trying to minimize liability and if they can do that while making the game more dramatic they’ll do it.
The Packets are soft
Packers are soft