Rich McKay: No Team Proposals Submitted to Ban NFL Tush Push in 2026

NFL competition committee co-chairman Rich McKay announced Sunday that he does not anticipate a ban on the tush push this year after 112 attempts in 2025.

INDIANAPOLIS — NFL competition committee co-chairman Rich McKay confirmed Sunday that the league has received zero team proposals to outlaw the short-yardage maneuver known as the tush push. During the 2025 season, NFL teams utilized the play 112 times, a slight increase from the 101 attempts recorded throughout 2024. Despite the rise in frequency, the conversion rate for the NFL tush push dropped to 76.8% in 2025, falling below the 82% success mark maintained between 2022 and 2024. Speaking at the NFL combine following a series of meetings, McKay stated that he does not envision an attempt to prohibit the play this year, though he noted that future developments remain unpredictable.

Statistical data from the previous campaign reveals that the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills remained the primary practitioners of the strategy. Philadelphia led the league with 27 total attempts, while Buffalo followed with 17. While these two franchises dominated the statistics, other organizations introduced tactical variations to the formation. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks notably experimented with the personnel used for the snap, opting to have tight ends receive the ball rather than traditional quarterbacks. This shift occurred as the league monitored the play's evolution across various rosters beyond the primary users in Pennsylvania and New York.

The current lack of a proposal follows a contentious period in early 2025 when the Green Bay Packers spearheaded an effort to eliminate the play. In February 2025, the Packers submitted a proposal featuring specific language designed to prohibit offensive players from immediately pushing a teammate lined up directly behind the snapper. Under NFL rules, any regulatory change requires 24 affirmative votes from league owners to pass. The Packers' initial draft garnered only 16 votes, falling eight short of the necessary threshold. This lack of consensus led the league to table the discussion during the March owners' meeting.

In May 2025, the Packers introduced a revised version of their proposal. This second attempt sought a broader ban that would prevent players from pushing any ball carrier regardless of their position on the field. This move was intended to revive a rule that had been part of the NFL's officiating standards until 2005. However, this broader revision also failed to gain traction, ultimately falling short of approval by a margin of just two votes. Sources cited by ESPN's Adam Schefter indicated that the vitriol surrounding these 2025 discussions contributed to the current hesitation to revisit the debate in 2026.

While subjective concerns regarding the physical safety of the tush push have been raised by various stakeholders, the NFL has not publicized any health data or injury statistics to validate those suspicions. The absence of empirical evidence regarding player welfare has hindered the movement to restrict the play on medical grounds. Rich McKay’s comments suggest that without a formal push from a specific franchise, the competition committee will not initiate a ban independently. The league's current stance reflects the outcome of the May 2025 meeting where the majority of owners chose to maintain the status quo rather than revert to pre-2005 officiating guidelines.

During the 2025 season, the 112 attempts resulted in 86 successful first downs or touchdowns. This volume of usage highlights how the play has transitioned from a niche specialty to a standard short-yardage tool for nearly every offensive coordinator in the league. The drop in efficiency to 76.8% suggests that defensive units are beginning to adapt their techniques to counter the concentrated force of the offensive line. McKay noted that the competition committee reviews every play type annually, but the lack of a 2026 proposal indicates that the league's 32 owners are currently satisfied with the competitive balance of the maneuver.

The 2024 season saw 101 attempts, which was a significant jump from the 41 attempts recorded in 2022. This exponential growth in frequency over a four-year window has made the tush push one of the most scrutinized tactical developments in modern professional football. Despite the scrutiny, the 2025 conversion rate remains higher than the league average for traditional third-and-one or fourth-and-one rushing attempts, which typically hover around 68%. This statistical advantage explains why teams like the Eagles continue to prioritize the play despite the ongoing national debate regarding its aesthetics and fairness.

McKay’s role as co-chairman involves synthesizing feedback from all 32 clubs before the annual league meeting in March. By stating that no proposals have been submitted, he effectively ends speculation that a rule change is imminent for the upcoming training camp cycle. The 2026 season will proceed under the existing rulebook, allowing teams to continue pushing ball carriers from behind to gain yardage. This decision ensures that the 76.8% conversion rate remains the benchmark for teams entering the upcoming season without new legislative hurdles or officiating restrictions.