For the second straight offseason, talks of a potential “tush push” ban continue to heat up. As the head coach of the Green Bay Packers, the team who sent in the recent ban proposal, Matt LaFleur voiced his support for Nick Sirianni and the Philadelphia Eagles’ signature play to be prohibited.
LaFleur claimed the play is “not a football” set, comparing it more to rugby. Like Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst, who submitted the proposal, LaFleur said the driving factor behind the team’s resistance is its care for player safety.
“I don’t think it’s a great football play; it’s more of a rugby play,” LaFleur said, via Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. “Some of the injury concerns, we want to kind of get out in front of that and be a little bit more proactive than we have.”
Matt LaFleur says the tush push isn’t a “great football play. It’s more of a rugby play.” Also has safety concerns.
His full answer on proposing the ban: pic.twitter.com/dBcLlWEW7N
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) April 1, 2025
LaFleur also admitted the Packers use the “tush push” themselves but still believes it should not be allowed. The 45-year-old head coach said he would adjust to the rule set no matter what the NFL league officials decide.
“We [the Packers] do it too, but we’re going to adjust to whatever the rules may be,” LaFleur said. “If it doesn’t go through, it doesn’t go through. We’re always trying to look at everything. I think when you look at player safety, that should be at the forefront of everybody’s minds.”
As of April 1, LaFleur and the Packers have some support from the league but do not appear to have enough to get the play banned. As officials continue to discuss the proposal, it “does not sound like there are enough votes” to support Green Bay’s request, according to Jordan Schultz.
NFL continues to discuss Packers’ Tush Push ban proposal
As the offseason trudges along, the Packers’ “tush push” ban proposal continues to escalate. League officials continue to meet to discuss the situation in Florida, with owners expected to vote on it Friday afternoon, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
Coaches, general managers and owners continue to be split on the decision. With three of Sirianni’s former assistants — Shane Steichen, Kellen Moore and Jonathan Gannon — now head coaches, the Eagles have more than a handful of teams on their side. Yet, many still oppose the play for a variety of reasons.
If successful, it is difficult to predict when the ban would take effect. With the new league year already in place, it would likely not come to fruition until the 2026 season at the earliest.
