The Kansas City Chiefs‘ slim 20-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles has reignited one of the NFL’s hottest controversies: the legality and enforcement of the “Tush Push.” And now, the league has tightened its lens.

The NFL has addressed the controversy, urging officials to tightly enforce pre-snap legality on “Tush Push” plays, per reporter Mark Maske on X. “The NFL also says on its officials’ training tape of the tush push: “We want to make sure that we officiate these plays tight and make sure that every aspect of the offensive team is legal and any movement… that’s not correct, we want to shut it down as a false start.”‘

In the aftermath of the Chiefs’ Week 2 loss, debate flared over the Eagles’ repeated use of the “Tush Push” play, especially in short-yardage and goal-line situations. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and several Chiefs players claimed the Eagles committed multiple uncalled false starts during those attempts.

Following the post-game on September 15, Reid explained, ”If players are moving early, it must be called.” He continued, “They will review the situation and determine their evaluation. My perspective was that the players were moving.”

Reid said he raised the issue with officials and expects the league to review the play. That pressure has now led to action.

This is the clearest sign yet that the league is recognizing the uproar and its impact on competitive balance. For Kansas City, the fallout is real. Defensive tackle Chris Jones said several Eagles players were “jumping” before the snap but weren’t flagged.

“Officials can’t get every call,” Jones admitted. “Sometimes they’re 15, 20 feet away and can miss small movements. We observed multiple jumps, but the official didn’t see it. We have to move on and play the next down.”

The Chiefs had to pay for it right away.

In the fourth quarter, with Kansas City down 13-10, tight end Travis Kelce deflected a Patrick Mahomes pass on the goal line. Andrew Mukuba intercepted and returned it 41 yards. Philadelphia answered on the next series with Jalen Hurts’ touchdown on the “Tush Push,” increasing its advantage to 20-10.

This indicated just how significant the play has turned out to be and why the Chiefs consider it a turning point within the loss.

Andy Reid and the Chiefs questioned the “Tush Push,” while the Eagles defended it as a core part of their strategy.

Andy Reid critique meets Eagles’ response

The “Tush Push” has become a signature move for the Eagles, and a hot topic across the NFL. On Sunday, they ran it six times, picking up four first downs and a touchdown.

Since 2022, they’ve converted it 96.6% of the time on fourth-and-one, turning short-yardage plays into near guarantees. Coaches around the league admit it’s forcing them to rethink how they defend the goal line.

The “Tush Push” became so common that the Packers asked the NFL to ban it during the May meeting. The proposal failed by just two votes. If it had passed, Sunday’s feud wouldn’t have happened. Now, the play remains legal, and even more dangerous, through the 2025 season.

Despite growing criticism and failed efforts to ban it, the Eagles aren’t backing down.

Philadelphia players pushed back against the idea that the “Tush Push” is the only reason for their success. Left tackle Jordan Mailata called that view “incredibly disrespectful” to the team’s defense and special teams.

Speaking to 94 WIP radio, he said: “I understand the outrage [over the tush push]. What I don’t understand is them using it as an excuse to why we won the game. I think it’s incredibly disrespectful to our defense and our special teams who balled out.”

His comments show the play is more than a tactic. It’s part of the Eagles’ tough, physical identity.