NFL Reportedly Not Guaranteed to Vote on Tush Push During Offseason amid Controversy

The NFL's recent push for stricter officiating of the tush push doesn't necessarily mean the league will consider banning the play in 2026.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Saturday that "there are no assurances that the tush push issue will be brought up for conversation or a vote by the NFL this offseason."

"One source told ESPN that, after the hotly contested conversation the play raised last offseason and the emotions it aroused, he believes the entire issue needs to be tabled for a year before it could be raised again," Schefter wrote.

A proposal to ban the tush push ahead of the 2025 season received support from 22 teams but ultimately failed by two votes in May.

The vote was initially proposed by the Green Bay Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy. Schefter pointed out that Murphy retired in July.

Proposing the vote again would require someone else to put the proposal forward, and Schefter reported Saturday that a source says "there's been no movement to make it happen" through the first two weeks of the season.

Last offseason's vote failed after opposition from ten teams, which Schefter previously reported included the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets and Tennessee Titans.

The play has been popularized by the Eagles, who are not scheduled to play eight of those ten teams during the 2025 season. The Lions were the only team both playing the Eagles this season and opposing the proposed ban.

The Saints, led by former Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, tried a tush push in a Week 1 game against the Arizona Cardinals but were flagged for lining up offsides.

The Eagles have meanwhile continued using the play to great success, running it six times for four first downs and a touchdown in a Week 2 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

But Philadelphia's use of the tush push came under scrutiny due to what appeared to be multiple missed start calls on the play in Week 2.

One missed call was pointed out by Tom Brady on the Fox Sports broadcast. Another was flagged by the NFL in a memo sent out to all 32 teams ahead of Week 3, according to the Washington Post's Mark Maske.

The NFL told officials in training tape shared with teams that officials should call "these plays tight," per Maske.

According to Schefter, however, that directive won't necessarily lead to another proposal to ban the tush push unless someone else steps up in Murphy's place next offseason.