NFL refuses to ban tush push (and Chiefs fans should be ecstatic)

On Wednesday, a group of 32 mostly old, white men who have never played football met in Minnesota. On the agenda was a vote to ban the tush push, a play made famous by the Philadelphia Eagles that has drawn the ire of many around the National Football League.

According to league sources, the vote failed, and Kansas City Chiefs fans should be happy it did.

Now, that might be a strange thing for a Chiefs fan to say, considering the Eagles pushed their tushes all the way to a Super Bowl victory over Kansas City, but the decision not to ban the play is great news for the league as a whole. Here’s why.

The proposed amendment to Rule 12, Section 1, Article 4, proposed by the Green Bay Packers, was wordy, to say the least.

“No offensive player may, immediately at the snap, push or throw his body against a teammate who was lined up directly behind the snapper and received the snap, to aid him in an attempt to gain yardage,” the proposed amendment said.

It’s specific, but that specificity could also be its downfall.

NFL teams and coaches are always looking for ways to work around rules. How soon would it be before a new tush push wrinkle is found, bypassing the new rule altogether and making it irrelevant?

What if teams, instead of pushing a quarterback with the ball, shoved the guards or another offensive lineman instead, with a quarterback rushing behind them?

When is a push no longer considered “immediate”? Could we see a tush push draw play, where the surging shove behind the quarterback happens after a slight delay?

And could a team pitch or hand the ball to a back lined up next to the QB and then just push them forward instead? That player didn’t directly receive the snap, so does that make it okay?

Where does it end? The potential solution to a perceived problem could just make the entire situation worse.

There is already more than enough grey area when it comes to interpreting the rules we currently have in the NFL—I’m looking at you, pass interference and roughing the passer—why add any more?

If a quarterback tries to jump over the pile at the line of scrimmage, can they be pushed then? In the commotion of a sneak, if an offensive player inadvertently touches the QB’s back, are we going to start getting ticky-tacky illegal pushing calls?

Is all the hassle really worth it to stop one little play? Would it actually make things better? I don’t think so.

Believe it or not, the tush push ruling has a lot to do with the Chiefs

If this rule change had passed and gone ahead, it could have had huge ramifications for Kansas City down the road too.

The Chiefs and Andy Reid love coming up with funky plays. They are one of the most creative offenses in the league.

How soon would it be before something they’ve done—like having players spin in a circle out of the huddle or having a defensive lineman throw touchdowns—became the subject of a rule amendment thanks to a disgruntled opponent?

What if the shoe was on the other foot and it was a Reid concoction we haven’t even seen yet that was under scrutiny because it was checks notes too good?

I’m not trying to be facetious or over the top, I’m just trying to point out that it’s a slippery slope. Where would it end?

In the end, every team in the league has the option of running the tush push. Some have tried to replicate it, but none have been able to recreate the same kind of success rate that the Eagles enjoy. That’s neither Philadelphia’s fault nor its problem.

Banning it because it is unstoppable, because it looks ugly, or because it “just isn’t football,” quite frankly, is loser talk.

Player safety should be the top priority. But attempts to link the rule change to safety seem more like a cover for eliminating a problem altogether. The league should just let the play run its natural course.

With all the incredible minds around the NFL, it’s only a matter of time before someone or some team finally solves the riddle of how to stop it consistently. When that happens, maybe we’ll see the play fade away.

There is also no guarantee that Philadelphia will remain good at it forever. Maybe it’s Jalen Hurts who is the driving force behind the play. Maybe it's the offensive line. When those players move on, or if their physical capabilities change, maybe the play loses its effectiveness. Who knows?

Could the Eagles run the same play just as well in 10 years? Probably not, just in the same way the Chiefs wouldn’t be able to run 2-3 Jet Chip Wasp the same way now.

Changing the rules to ban the tush push would have been a massive overreaction. I’m disappointed that Clark Hunt voted to outlaw it, but I’m glad the vote failed. Other Chiefs fans should be too.