The NFL just gave ammo to every fan who’s been screaming about the Eagles’ “tush push” being illegal. League officials admitted Philadelphia should have been flagged for at least one false start during their Week 2 matchup against Kansas City – a game they ultimately won thanks in part to this controversial play. ESPN confirmed the news first reported by the Washington Post on Thursday.
The Eagles commit about 5 penalties during a Tush Push, and the NFL just doesn’t call them.
— Chris Bryant (@HogfarmerChris) September 14, 2025
Center is offsides, guards false start.
Ban the play. pic.twitter.com/ffukdCEj7Q
The league has now sent training videos to refs and all 32 teams with clear instructions to call the play “tight” going forward. They specifically highlighted a crucial third-and-short situation in the fourth quarter that Philadelphia converted – a play that helped them secure the win against the Chiefs.
NFL VP of officiating training Ramon George didn’t mince words in the tape. “The offensive team has to be perfect in every aspect,” he stated, according to the Post. “We want to officiate it tight. We want to be black and white… when teams are in the bunch position and we have to officiate them being onsides, movement early.”
The NFL’s clever workaround: Enforce existing rules
Here’s the thing – the league might not need to formally ban the controversial play after all. By simply enforcing the rules that already exist, they could effectively neutralize its effectiveness.
Think about it. If Philly starts getting flagged regularly, they’ll likely phase it out themselves.
The risk-reward calculation changes dramatically when you’re looking at potential 5-yard penalties on critical third or fourth-and-short situations. Nick Sirianni would have to seriously reconsider his automatic go-to call if it starts hurting more than helping.
The Eagles ran the play six times against Kansas City in Week 2 – converting four first downs and scoring a touchdown. That’s an 83% success rate. But if penalties start turning even one or two of those attempts into failures? The math changes quickly for a play that’s been nearly automatic.
Eagles players, predictably, aren’t happy about the increased scrutiny.
Center Cam Jurgens sounded particularly frustrated when speaking to reporters: “I’ve heard a million different takes on this thing, and it’s driving me nuts,” he said Wednesday. “People saying I’m lining up offsides. I’m holding the ball. I can be on the ball. That doesn’t make any sense to me.”
Rules are rules, though. After giving Philadelphia a significant advantage for multiple seasons, the NFL seems ready to level the playing field. The Eagles dominated with this innovative approach – now they’ll need to adapt just like defenses were forced to when the play first appeared.