Why keeping the tush push is a win for the Detroit Lions

The tush push is here to stay, and that’s good news for the Detroit Lions.

On Wednesday, the NFL opted not to ban the tush push. The proposal, initially submitted by the Green Bay Packers, was aimed to disallow the play made popular by the Philadelphia Eagles in which quarterback Jalen Hurts would run a quarterback sneak in a short-yardage situation and have a player or two (typically from the backfield) push him from behind to gain additional power.

However, the proposal—even after recent adjustments—did not get the owners they needed (24 of 32 is required to pass a new rule) to agree to the rule change. Per reports, the final vote was 22-10, meaning the tush push will remain a legal play for the 2025 NFL season.

While this is obviously a win for the Eagles, it’s also a win for the Detroit Lions. Take a look at the rule proposal as it was written—the bolded parts indicate the changes that would have been made.

ARTICLE 4. ASSISTING THE RUNNER AND INTERLOCKING INTERFERENCE.

No offensive player may:

• (a) push or pull a runner in any direction at any time or lift him to his feet;
• (b) use interlocking interference by grasping a teammate or by using his hands or arms to encircle the body of a teammate in an effort to block an opponent; or
• (c) push or throw his body against a teammate to aid him in an attempt to obstruct an opponent or to recover a loose ball; or
• (d) assist the runner except by individually blocking opponents for him.

While the Eagles’ frequent use of the tush push would have been most impacted by this rule change, the Lions would have been impacted, too. There are two notable plays from the Detroit Lions’ 2024 season that would’ve been considered illegal under the proposed ban.

The first, David Montgomery’s iconic run that involved him getting an extra 7 yards or so after literally getting lifted and shoved by his teammates:

Additionally, in Detroit’s rout of the Jaguars, Penei Sewell gave Montgomery a little extra shove that helped escort the running back into the end zone. That would’ve come with a 10-yard penalty had this resolution passed.

The Lions are a physical football team that is all about overpowering and outworking the opponent. Their offensive line is critical to what they do, and that often results in gaining an extra 4-5 yards per play by pushing scrums of players in the right direction. Thanks to the failure of the tush push ban, the Lions can continue to do that.

It comes as no surprise that the Lions were reportedly one of the 10 teams who voted against its ban.

“Philly’s obviously known for this because they’re the ones who’ve really kind of perfected it and done it and do it over and over, and I’m like, ‘Hey, good for them, man.’ If you got something, we gotta stop it,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said...