The tush push ban is gaining momentum.
However, it will take 24 votes out of 32 to eliminate a game which has become a staple of short films for the Philadelphia Eagles, Super Bowl champions.
NFL team owners, coaches and general managers are considering several potential rule changes during this week’s league meetings. Nothing has gotten more attention than Philadelphia’s version of the stealth quarterback.
THE Green Bay Packers released the proposal to ban it, citing player safety and pace of play.
Although NFL executive Troy Vincent said last month that no injuries had been reported following the game, Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott, a member of the NFL’s competition committee, is leading the effort to get rid of them.
“I feel like what concerns me the most, even though there’s no meaningful data at this point, my biggest concern is the health and safety of the players, first and foremost,” McDermott said Monday. “It’s two things. It’s the strength, the added strength, No. 1, and then the posture of the players, when they’re asked to execute this type of play, that’s where my concerns come in. I’m not a doctor. I’m not going to get too deep into this situation, in terms of the amount of data, the amount of samples. I don’t think that’s really always the best way to do it. There’s other data that suggests that when you’re in a posture like we’re in let’s talk, this can lead to serious injuries I think being responsible and proactive in this regard is the right way to go.
Chris Szagola / AP 
Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who watched Jalen Hurts score on a drive to start Philadelphia’s 40-22 rout of Kansas City in the Super Bowl, seemed to agree with McDermott.
“A tough play to stop, but if you listen to that and the medical side of it, you could probably go either way,” Reid said. “But I would say if it puts a player in a bad position, then you probably have to do something. But if it doesn’t, it’s a hell of a game.”
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, who is also a member of the competition committee, wanted to know more about security concerns.
“I think the first time I saw it, I couldn’t believe it was legal because it was illegal on the basket,” Tomlin said. “That being said, you hate to be against it because when people are innovative, you want to respect that. And so there have certainly been teams that have been more innovative than the rest of us in that regard. And you hate to penalize them for that. But again, we’ve discussed blocking field goals because of player safety. And so that remains a part of the discussion.”
Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans and Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said they didn’t want the game banned.
“It’s hard to punish a team for being really good at something,” Ryans said.
Tampa Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles made it clear last month that he would not support a baneither.
Other changes include making the permanent dynamic kickoff rule and revamping the playoff format.
The NFL competition committee recommended sticking with the kickoff rule that was revamped last year and changing it to move touchbacks to the 35-yard line in hopes of generating even more returns.
The Detroit Lions proposed that playoff seeding be based on record instead of automatically placing division winners in the top four spots.
“I’m a divisive purist,” Tomlin said.
The committee also proposed an expansion of instant replay to allow replay assistance to consult with on-field officials to overturn objective calls such as facemask penalties, whether there was forced contact with the head or neck, tackles at the horse’s collar or tripping if there was “clear and obvious” evidence that a foul did not occur. Replay would also make it possible to overturn roughness towards the kicker or face the kicker’s penalty if the video replay showed that the defender had made contact with the ball.
Abu Dhabi
NFL chief Peter O’Reilly said the league was considering playing a game in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
“We still have some work to do there,” O’Reilly said.
The NFL will play seven international games in five countries this upcoming season. The league returns to Brazil, Mexico, Germany and England while Ireland is set to host its first regular season match. The NFL previously announced a multi-year commitment to play regular season games in Melbourne, Australia, starting in 2026.
Flexible schedule
NFL owners approved the postponement of games from Sunday to Thursday nights with 21 days’ notice. Only one game has been changed in the last two seasons, when teams had to be notified with 28 days’ notice.
