Sean Payton Calls 'BS' on Tush Push Debate, Says Player Safety Not a Factor

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton doesn't think health and safety will be the driving factor in the elimination of the tush push if the play is ever outlawed in the NFL.

"If we choose to ever move on from that, it won't be because of health and safety," he told reporters Tuesday. "It'll just be that we don't like it. Which is okay."

He also pointed out "sometimes your BS meter goes up" while adding, "last year, we spent two hours on health and safety on the (tush push) and then added 1,000 kickoffs."

Discussions about whether to outlaw the tush push generated plenty of headlines last offseason.

After all, the Philadelphia Eagles were coming off a dominant Super Bowl win and routinely used the play throughout their championship season. It seemed unstoppable with Saquon Barkley pushing Jalen Hurts for first downs, and the Green Bay Packers officially proposed to ban it.

The proposal led to discussions about player safety, although ESPN's Kalyn Kahler reported in March 2025 that meetings did not produce any injury data to support banning the play. 

"It's not backed by data," one club executive said. "It was all subjective."

The vote was initially tabled in April following a 50-50 split at league meetings, and the play ended up remaining legal for the 2025 season when the proposed ban did not generate enough votes to pass.

Last February, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters the safety concerns were "a little made up. … I can't remember one injury we had on that play and we ran it more than anybody else."

Payton seemed to echo those sentiments Tuesday, and discussions about potentially banning it have not generated nearly as much momentum this offseason as they did last offseason.