NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says topic of 'Tush Push' ban is 'beyond data'

The Eagles' signature play has little data backing concerns of injury risk, but that might not even matter in the campaign to ban it.

By Nick Tricome
PhillyVoice Staff

Jim Rassol/Imagn Images

Roger Goodell doesn't have any actual data saying the Tush Push is dangerous, but...
 

The "Tush Push" ban proposal on the table this week was one of the leading issues at the NFL owners meetings.

Nick Sirianni, Howie Roseman, and Jeffrey Lurie all stood in defense of the Eagles' signature play, and a few other coaches and GMs from around the league stated their support of it as well. 

But the teams that want it gone have been steadfast about it, citing injury risk and "aesthetics," though without ever offering much evidence or data to support their case. 

Ultimately, the topic of a "Tush Push" ban got tabled until the next league meetings in May, word broke on Tuesday. Essentially, the teams for the ban put the vote on hold so they could get to a scenario where they have a better chance of getting what they want, as our own Jimmy Kempski observed, because they didn't have the votes or the data to back them up now. 

But having data might not even matter. 

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell had his owners meetings press conference on Tuesday, and on the subject of the "Tush Push," he said that he does believe there are injury concerns, that there's little data to support that idea, but the issue is "beyond data."

Said Goodell in full, via former 6ABC anchor Jeff Skversky:

"Listen, the discussion on the 'Tush Push' was very good. We shared a lot of data, a lot of questions from the clubs, a lot of discussion about it. I think there are safety issues that are being considered in that case. We have very little data from it, but it's not – it's beyond data. There's the mechanism of injury that we study, that type of thing, that leads us to show the risk involved with a particular play or a particular tackle. 

"So those are things that we did discuss. I do think there's a lot of discussion about going back to the previous rule, back to pre-2004 [when players couldn't push or pull at all], with some dispute about how long that rule was in play. But the reality of it is I think that makes a lot of sense in many ways, because it expands it beyond just that single play. There are a lot of plays where you see someone pulling or pushing somebody that are not in the 'Tush Push' formation, that I think do have an increased risk of injury. So I think the committee will look at that and come back in May with some proposals."

So basically, the sections of the league that want the play out of the game are going to stretch over the next few weeks to do so, whether they have actual proof of injury risk or not.

https://www.phillyvoice.com/eagles-news-roger-goodell-tush-push-ban-beyond-data-nfl-owners-meetings/

They'll do or say anything to justify their lameass attempts to make the play illegal.  Goodell is a clown as are any of the owners voting to ban it.  

5 hours ago, time2rock said:

They'll do or say anything to justify their lameass attempts to make the play illegal.  Goodell is a clown as are any of the owners voting to ban it.  

The NFL has to be one of the most hypocritical organizations there are.  Player safety!! Let's ban a play with no injury data while compelling teams to have more plays with players running full steam ahead at each other on a collision course (kick returns).  Also, let's keep adding games to the season!  Also, let's make teams play on Thursdays, Wednesdays, Fridays,...hell, whenever we want them to...no worries about allowing their bodies time to heal!  

Also, let's run ad campaigns highlighting vicious hits that are actually a penalty now!  

I don’t think they’ll ever be able to ban it unless something significant happens. They need 24 teams to vote against it and the vote this year was 16-16. 

On 4/4/2025 at 7:13 AM, time2rock said:

They'll do or say anything to justify their lameass attempts to make the play illegal.  Goodell is a clown as are any of the owners voting to ban it.  

So they'll go back to the time when instead of pulling or pushing, players would collide with the ball carrier engage with a defender from behind under the guise of "attempting to block the tackler." That form of pushing was ok then and never enforced. The whole thing is stupid. Let the play stand and tell the other 31 teams that if they want to do it too, get the right personnel and practice it.

1 hour ago, PoconoDon said:

So they'll go back to the time when instead of pulling or pushing, players would collide with the ball carrier engage with a defender from behind under the guise of "attempting to block the tackler." That form of pushing was ok then and never enforced. The whole thing is stupid. Let the play stand and tell the other 31 teams that if they want to do it too, get the right personnel and practice it.

You see players getting pushed all the time ... fighting for that extra yard or 2, goal line, etc.  It's just the pushing then isn't "immediately at the snap".  Guess they think they can convince people into believing it is somehow dangerous then but not in those other instances.  Such a crock of BS.  

The NFL wants it banned so it’s going to get banned at this stage there’s no doubt about it.

On 4/7/2025 at 4:49 AM, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

The NFL wants it banned so it’s going to get banned at this stage there’s no doubt about it.

Florio stated it perfectly ... safety is being used as a pretext to remove the play from the game.  

18 hours ago, time2rock said:

Florio stated it perfectly ... safety is being used as a pretext to remove the play from the game.  

Absolutely bud there’s no doubt. And yet not only is it BS because there’s no data to support it… But it is hypocritical because they want to add more games, play on more days of the week and they’ve changed the kick off rule to encourage more returns.

1 hour ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Absolutely bud there’s no doubt. And yet not only is it BS because there’s no data to support it… But it is hypocritical because they want to add more games, play on more days of the week and they’ve changed the kick off rule to encourage more returns.

Safety is only an important consideration when they want it to be.  

On 4/4/2025 at 5:24 PM, Road to Victory said:

I don’t think they’ll ever be able to ban it unless something significant happens. They need 24 teams to vote against it and the vote this year was 16-16. 

I'd be more concerned if it was closer. But trying to flip 8 teams seems like a real long shot. So I think the play is here to stay.