Tush push ban: Packers CEO holds out hope for proposal approval

The Green Bay Packers proposed a rule change that would effectively ban the fabled tush push in the NFL, and CEO Mark Murphy expressed optimism that the rule would pass.

The tush push ban was the talk of the NFL’s annual meeting, but owners tabled the discussion about whether to prohibit it until May. The Packers’ proposal would “prohibit an offensive player from pushing a teammate who was lined up directly behind the snapper and receives the snap, immediately at the snap.” Essentially, the tush push would be banned because of this.

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Retiring Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy is honored for his service during halftime of their game on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Murphy expressed optimism that the proposal would be adopted.

“I think it ended up in a good place,” Murphy said, via Pro Football Talk. “We ended up tabling it, but we had a really good discussion, talked a little bit about our safety concerns regarding the play, just kind of the style of the play, but good interaction with the league and so it’ll be tabled and then what we’re going to do is it’ll be voted on in the May meeting, and so we’re going to go — in 2005, the league did away with the rule that you couldn’t push runners, and so we’re going to go back and see the language that we had in 2004, and I’m optimistic.

EX-NFL STAR FIRES BACK AT ATTEMPT TO BAN TUSH PUSH, WORRIES IT WILL CAUSE ‘SLIPPERY SLOPE’

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, #1, prepares the tush push during the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 15, 2024 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. (Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“I think there’s enough people that kind of look at it and say it’s really not good for the game, it’s more a rugby play than a football play, just kind of go back to what used to be the rule.”

Rich McKay, the NFL Competition Committee chair, said earlier this month the issues go beyond safety because there is not enough data to say whether it is a dangerous play. The league has said there have been no injuries reported over the tush push.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, #1, scores a touchdown on a tush push during Super Bowl LIX between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 9, 2025 at the Superdome in New Orleans. (Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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It takes 24 votes to approve rule changes.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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