Sources said
Even the most powerful figure in the NFL can't stop Tush from pushing.
The proposed ban on the popular Tush Push game by the Philadelphia Eagles did not receive enough votes at the spring meeting in Eagan, Minnesota.
Prior to the vote, retired Philadelphia Eagles Center Jason Kelce and team owner Jeffrey Lurie spoke to the owners to lobby for the merits of keeping the game.
Sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter that the final vote was 22-10 of the proposal, submitted by the Green Bay Packers. The proposal requires 24 votes to pass.
Sources told Schefter that the 10 teams that voted against the proposal were: the Hawks, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Yeek Jets and Tennessee Titans.
Interestingly, both the Indianapolis Colts (Shane Steichen) and the Arizona Cardinals (Jonathan Gannon) are coached by former Hawks coordinator, who both voted for the ban. Steichen previously expressed support for the Tush Push match at last month’s annual league meeting.
The Eagles celebrated the result, writing a “push” overlay, their team lined up against the Packers' Tush push in a Wednesday-X post. The Eagles and Packers will face each other in Week 10 of the season’s “Monday Night Football” game.
— Philadelphia Eagles (@eagles) May 21, 2025
Kelce declined to comment on the vote Wednesday, saying: “I'm not talking to the media here.” Lurie said he was “satisfied” with the vote but had no further comments.
However, Kels recently said in the “New Height” podcast that he hosted with his brother Travis Kelce, who didn't care about the ban on Tush's thrust, just as he intended to clear the misunderstanding, which put him in the risk of injury and ended his career on his decision.
“If you told me all I was going to do was run 80 Tush pushes in the NFL game, I retired today,” said Jason Kelce. “I'm happy to do it. It would be the easiest job in the world.”
In another vote, the NFL owner approved a proposal to allow teams to announce a kick at any time during the game. The Kickers players will also line up on the front foot of the 35-yard line, with the rules changing, closer to one yard than before.
Wednesday’s vote follows discussions on the original proposal submitted by the Green Bay Packers at the NFL’s annual league meeting in Palm Beach, Florida last month.
The original proposal was explicitly written on Tush Push Play. Sources told ESPN's Kalyn Kahler that the vote was split 16-16 out of 32 teams before the proposal was made.
Packers resubmit proposals before the spring meeting begins and modify the language to more broadly prohibit pushing or pulling anywhere on the court. In the updated language of the proposal, “The offensive player cannot help the runner unless by blocking the opponent alone for him.” The Packers also eliminated “Immediately in Snapshot” in the updated language.
Tush Push last year only accounted for 0.28% of the total games last year, but the Hawks and Buffalo Bills played more frequently than other teams. ESPN Research said that over the past three seasons, the two have summed up 163 pushes, more than the other NFL combined.
Not only did the Hawks and Bill run the game the most often, they were the most successful. According to ESPN's research, they scored a touchdown or achieved the first drop in 87% of the Tush push attempt, while the rest of the league had succeeded 71% of the time.
ESPN's Brooke Pryor and Tim McManus contributed to the report.