Tush push appears safe, no rule change proposals address the play

The tush push is here to stay.

The NFL has released all the 2026 rule change proposals, and none of them address the tush push, which last year was the subject of a fierce offseason debate.

It’s still possible that some team could propose a rule against the tush push, but there appears to be no momentum for it. Any rule change needs 24 teams to vote for it, and when last year’s proposal to ban the tush push fell two votes short, that may have ended it.

There was some talk that the NFL might consider a broader rule against teammates aiding a ball carrier, but no such rule was proposed this year. There is already a rule prohibiting pulling a runner, but pushing a runner is legal.

The Eagles made the tush push famous and have been the team to use it most frequently and most effectively, although defenses were more successful stopping it in 2025. Other teams also use the play, and from all indications it’s not going anywhere.