Skip to main content
Black background with Arizona Cardinals logo and details about the Draft Party on April 24th
Advertising

Arizona Cardinals Home: The official source of the latest Cardinals headlines, news, videos, photos, tickets, rosters and game day information

WordFromTheBirds-category-logo-v4

Presented by

Future Of Tush Push Up For Discussion

One of a handful of changes to be considered at next week's owners meetings

Let me start this by saying I don't love the Brotherly Shove or the Tush Push, but for the basic reason that I don't understand why it is OK to push a player from behind. That was once outlawed in the NFL; I'm not sure why that ended up changing. It doesn't make sense to me that players can be pushed or pulled forward by teammates (the latter is supposed to be a penalty still) and I feel that way regardless of where it happens relative to the line of scrimmage.

But the Eagles have made the shove forward of Jalen Hurts a thing -- a very effective thing -- and are one of only a couple of teams to accomplish this.

So it's not a surprise that a team, the Green Bay Packers, have made a proposal to outlaw a QB being shoved from behind, and that proposal will be discussed at the Florida owners meetings coming early next week.

The proposal reads: "to prohibit an offensive player from pushing a teammate who was lined up directly behind the snapper and receives the snap, immediately at the snap." So this isn't about pushing a ballcarrier; this is very specifically about the Tush Push.

Not many teams use it. In fact, only two teams -- the Eagles and the Bills with big QB Josh Allen -- used it more than five times last season. And that can give pause.

"The thing that nobody likes about the discussion we are having is the idea a rule is directed toward two teams," Falcons CEO and Competition Committee co-chairman Rich McKay said on Wednesday during a conference call. McKay added that it would be a question for the Packers and the teams supporting the change about why they'd feel the need for it.

(It feels like a longshot that it would pass.)

Last season, the Cardinals ran their version of the play three times, all in the same game, against the Chargers on a Monday night. Backup QB Clayton Tune, who is the Cardinals' choice to run such a play given the stature of starter Kyler Murray, converted the first on fourth-and-1, but then was stuffed on third- and fourth-and-1 later on.

Among the other things being considered at the meetings: a permanent move to the dynamic kickoff (it was a one-year experiment last season), seeded-by-record playoffs, and an increase in the plays that could be helped by replay assist (although only to take away a flag, never to call a penalty when one wasn't originally.)

Clayton Tune about to tush push in 2023.
Clayton Tune about to tush push in 2023.
Advertising