The Philadelphia Eagles haven’t looked like their Super Bowl-winning selves in the 2025 season. The defending champions have dealt with inconsistency and identity issues on the offensive end. But the Eagles have one consistent get-out-of-jail card – the ‘Tush Push’, which remains their most reliable weapon even this year. A play, which Philadelphia has a 96.6% conversion rate in fourth-and-1 scenarios since 2022, may soon see its demise.

There has been constant chatter about ‘Tush Push’ being banned, especially with the Green Bay Packers presenting a proposal during the offseason. At the NFL’s May 2025 owner meetings, the ban fell short by two votes, receiving 22 instead of the required 24. But after an officiating mishap during the Philadelphia Eagles-New York Giants Week 8 clash, CBS Sports claims the writing is on the wall for the infamous ‘Tush Push’.

Analyzing various trends across the league on a reality-overreaction scale, CBS deemed the banning of the Tush Push as a reality. The report cited the officiating issues caused by the play as the biggest reason behind its ban. These issues were glaringly evident when quarterback Jalen Hurts went beyond the line-to-gain to ensure he got the fourth-down conversion in the second quarter against the Giants.

But the officials made the call despite New York’s Kayvon Thibodeaux ripping the ball away from Hurts. It should have been New York’s ball at its 10-yard line. These repeated errors have led to the understanding that the Tush Push may last in the NFL for just this season before it’s banned. Giants’ head coach Brian Daboll was furious with the errors caused during the officiating of the ‘Tush Push’ after their loss. Daboll, in the post-game presser, stated, “I’m not going to comment on what I think about the officials.”

Poor officiating not the only reason for the death of ‘Tush Push’

The officiating issues during a ‘Tush Push’ are the only factors that have led to the end of this play. Rather, issues like player health may be another vital reason behind the end of the Tush Push. The play seems wrong where the quarterback, the most important cog of a team, lines up right in front of the opposition line. Indianapolis Colts center Tanor Bortolini has been vocal about this issue and doesn’t enjoy this play.

As per ESPN, the 23-year-old former Wisconsin Badger said, “You really hate to put your quarterback in a spot where he can just get drilled like that.” Similarly, Philadelphia Eagles Pro Bowl right tackle Lane Johnson suffered a stinger early in the Week 3 game against the Rams and did not return. Further, the ‘Tush Push’ has also led to several false starts, giving the offense a clear advantage.

The issues faced by the officials while calling the play have been a major reason for these false starts. The NFL’s vice president of officiating training and development, Ramon George, has also highlighted this reason and admitted, “This is a very hard play to officiate.” Hence, with 10 weeks left in the 2025-26 season, enjoy the ‘Tush Push’ all you want before the league decides to pivot away.