Popular play invented by Buccaneers' NFC rival still legal

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will continue to face the controversial "tush push" play — at least for now.

The Buccaneers, along with the rest of the league, were awaiting a vote on a proposal that would have outlawed pushing the quarterback forward on sneaks going forward — a play patented by the Philadelphia Eagles. A vote on the controversial play was tabled for future discussions on Tuesday, according to the Athletic's Dianna Russini.

BREAKING: The NFL’s owners have tabled the proposal to ban the tush push, per source. pic.twitter.com/WJ4QJqbEFT
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) April 1, 2025

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles weighed in on the discussion during the NFL Scouting Combine, acknowledging both the safety concerns and the competitive challenge the play presents.

"The safety of it's always going to be a question because it's a rugby style of play, but I have nothing against it. You found guys that are being creative and found the niche and how to gain an edge in this league, and that is what we as coaches try and do on a daily basis," Bowles said on Pro Football Talk. "So now it's up to defensive coaches to try and gain an edge to try and stop it, so that's the challenge of it every time somebody brings something new, whether it's offense or defense, so I'm all for it that way. Again, nobody's been seriously hurt at this time, but you got to figure out how to stop it if you're going to stop it."

The Bucs have been one of the few teams to successfully defend against the tush push, and it was on full display during their matchups with the Eagles in the past few years.

For now, the tush push remains legal, but the initiative will be tabled for a later date. While the Bucs have proven it can be defended, the future of the play remains uncertain as the debate continues.

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