3 Major NFL Rule Changes Under Consideration, Including the Controversial ‘Tush Push’
The Philadelphia Eagles dropped the Green Bay Packers from the NFL playoffs in the wild-card round in January. The Packers sought retribution for that loss not long later.
The Football Operations department of the NFL announced Wednesday that Green Bay suggested a rule modification that would almost eradicate the “tush push.” During their annual league meeting, which will take place between March 30 and April 2, the Packers’ proposal is one of three the NFL will discuss. These proposed rules are only ideas for now; they won’t formally take effect unless authorized.
The Packers’ genuine suggestion seeks to alter the text of an already-existing rule rather than incorporate the term “tush push.”
Any offensive player “from pushing a teammate who was lined up directly behind the snapper and receives the snap, immediately at the snap,” the plan seeks to penalize.
That aptly captures the “tush push,” a modified quarterback sneak adopted by the Eagles during the 2022 season. The Eagles rely mostly on the play on important third and fourth downs, and they are usually good in grabbing first downs when running it.
Apart from the great leg strength of Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, a component of what makes the play successful is the additional push Hurts gets from the players lined up in the backfield. They provide him more drive to pass the first-down marker.
The drama has underlined scrutiny before as well. Reports surfaced during the 2023 NFL season indicating commissioner Roger Goodell intended to remove the “tush push” from the game. Though the league advised it would keep an eye on the play and maybe act should the “tush push” result in future injuries. That did not happen. The league did not contemplate a rule modification on the “tush push” at its annual meeting last season, despite ongoing discussion over the play last offseason.
Since the Eagles first unveiled the play, other teams have embraced the “tush push,” but the Eagles popularized the tactic and still employ it to great success. As teams get ready for the 2025 season, the Eagles, with their most-notable play and Super Bowl LIX victory in February, top of mind.
Apart from the “tush push” idea, the NFL will also discuss eliminating automatic first downs for defensive holding and unlawful contact penalties. The Detroit Lions put forth the idea.
The league will also go over whether, independent of the outcome of the first possession, both sides should be let to have possessions in overtime. Under present NFL regulations, both teams have an opportunity to have the ball in overtime throughout the playoffs and Super Bowl. The side possessing the ball first in overtime can wrap up the game with a score during the regular season. For the regular season as well as the playoffs, the Eagles are suggesting the league use the two-possession style.
Lions demand improved wild-card team seeding.
Two bylaws for the forthcoming season are also suggested by the Lions. One of the suggestions addresses player placement on the reserve/inactive list time. The more compelling suggestion for supporters addresses the playoff seeding process.
The Lions want to modify the present playoff seeding system to let wild-card clubs with superior records than division champions to be positioned higher in the playoffs.
Had this idea been implemented, the playoffs last season would have been quite different. The Minnesota Vikings were the fifth seed in the NFL playoff even finishing 14-3. The team thus had to travel to play the Los Angeles Rams even though the Rams had a 10-7 record for the regular season. The Rams defeated the Vikings out of the playoffs by 27-9.
The Green Bay Packers, who had 11 regular season victories, experienced the same fate—they were dropped to the seventh seed in the playoffs. The Packers had to travel to meet the No. 2 seed Eagles, who won 22-10, even finishing the regular season with a better record than the Rams and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Though the playoff-reseeding idea from the Lions could have the biggest impact on the NFL should it be approved, the abolition of the “tush push” would probably elicit the largest response from players all around the league.
At its annual meeting, which begins March 30, will decide if any of those rule changes or bylaw recommendations the league adopts by 2025.