Eagles legend helped save Philly’s famous ‘push’ play from being banned at NFL owners meetings

Ryan OLeary

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Eagles legend helped save Philly’s famous ‘push’ play from being banned at NFL owners meetings image

The Philadelphia Eagles are, to steal a phrase from their social media team, pushing on into 2025.

Philly’s famous short-yardage play labeled the ‘tush push’ survived at the NFL owners meetings in Minneapolis on Wednesday, with 10 teams voting against the Green Bay Packers’ proposal to eliminate any act pertaining to “assisting the runner” by pushing, pulling or lifting a ball carrier.

The proposal was first tabled during the NFL’s winter meetings in March, and amended by the Packers with new language this week. Despite an expectation by league executives that the proposal would pass, it failed to generate the required 75% vote.

Head coach Nick Sirianni, owner Jeffery Lurie and the Eagles have been campaigning to keep their now famous — and supremely dominant — play from getting banned. They may have got one final push across the goal line from all-time franchise great Jason Kelce, who joined Lurie in Minneapolis Wednesday and spoke to the owners on Philly’s behalf.

Kelce was one of the play’s originators and pillars as Philadelphia's former starting center. The Eagles have continued to dominate in short-yardage situations using their push play with Cam Jurgens snapping the ball to quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Only two teams in NFL history have scored 40-plus rushing touchdowns in a single season, and both of those teams were the Sirianni-Hurts Eagles (2022 and 2024), so Wednesday’s vote was a major win for the reigning Super Bowl champions.

Many called out the Packers for sour grapes, after they lost to the Eagles 22-10 in last year’s NFC Wild-Card Round of the playoffs. Coincidentally, the Packers’ proposal lost by a 22-10 vote on Wednesday. The Patriots, Ravens, Jets and Lions were among the teams who voted against the Packers’ proposal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

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Ryan OLeary

Ryan O'Leary has spent his entire professional career in sports multimedia, working as journalist, editor, podcaster, and in live events as a content manager and show emcee. His career highlights include working as a podcast host and audio editor for USA TODAY Sports Media Group, where he led a series of NFL podcasts for the company’s top-performing NFL sites. A born and raised New Englander, Ryan’s career kicked-off in newspapers after graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in journalism. He developed an affinity for small-town youth, high school and college sports, while also realizing his childhood dream of covering the Patriots in multiple AFC Championship Games. Ryan enjoys kicking it with family and friends, beating his dad and brother in chess, and arguing with anyone crazy enough to insist that Tom Brady isn’t the GOAT.