“I think it ended up in a good place" - Packers president gets candid on discussions to ban Eagles' tush-push play

Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy expressed optimism about the future of his proposal to ban the controversial "tush-push" play. This is despite the vote being tabled at the recent NFL league meeting. His comments signal confidence that the rule change will pass when voted on in May.

Murphy, who has been vocal about his dislike for the quarterback push tactic, leads the charge among NFL executives seeking to eliminate the play. Tush-push has become synonymous with the Philadelphia Eagles' short-yardage success. The proposal aims to prohibit players from pushing or aiding the ball carrier.

In a video released by the Packers on Monday, Murphy shared his thoughts on the discussions during the league meeting.

"I think it ended up in a good place," Murphy said. "We ended up tabling it, but we had a really good discussion, talked a little bit about our safety concerns regarding the play, just kind of the style of the play, but good interaction with the league and so it'll be tabled and then what we're going to do is it'll be voted on in the May meeting."

Syndication: Green Bay Press-Gazette - Source: Imagn

The proposal would effectively return the NFL to pre-2005 rules when pushing runners was prohibited. According to ESPN data, the tush-push accounted for just 0.28% of plays last season, yet it has drawn outsized attention due to the Eagles' and the Buffalo Bills' dominance with the tactic.

Packers president says tush-push is "more a rugby play than a football play"

Syndication: Democrat and Chronicle - Source: Imagn

Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy referenced one of the most famous quarterback sneaks in NFL history – Bart Starr's touchdown in the 1967 Ice Bowl:

"In the Ice Bowl, Bart Starr's touchdown, talking to Chuck Mercein, a lot of people thought when he put his hands up that he was signaling touchdown, but he was showing that he wasn't pushing Bart Starr," Murphy explained, reinforcing that the prohibition against such tactics was once fundamental to the game.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones surprisingly backed the change, framing it as an entertainment issue rather than simply targeting the Philadelphia Eagles.

"The fact that fans could be interested in what we do with it," Jones told Yahoo Sports on April 4. "We do things, and if somebody does it really well or gets an edge, we might make defensive, offensive adjustments."

Statistics reveal why the play has become controversial. The Eagles and the Buffalo Bills converted for a first down or touchdown on 87% of tush-push attempts over the past three seasons. In comparison, it was just 71% for the rest of the league.

NFL competition committee chairman Rich McKay noted that discussions about the rule lasted "30-40 minutes," with teams expressing varied views. The committee pointed to three main concerns: safety, football history and the fact that defenders cannot legally replicate what offensive players do during the push.

The tabled proposal will need the approval of 24 out of 32 clubs when voted upon at the May 20-21 meeting in Minneapolis.