Giants Legend Michael Strahan Delivers Strong Verdict on Tush Push as Roger Goodell Considers Banning Controversial Play

The push to ban “tush push” has become a major topic in the league. The Green Bay Packers kicked off and ended their 2024 season with losses to the Philadelphia Eagles. And now? They’re pushing for a rule change in this playing style, in front of Roger Goodell’s table, that would hit Philly right where it hurts.

Green Bay brought it up at the NFL owners’ meetings, and things got a little heated. Some folks saw it as nothing more than sour grapes, especially the Eagles fans. The tension stretched from Philly down to Florida. In the end, Roger Goodell’s league didn’t vote. They shelved the idea for now. Why? It’s because the owners were split right down the middle. 16 for it; 16 against. And since the league needs 24 votes to make anything official, the issue remains stuck in limbo. Many have been sharing their perspectives on tush push, and the latest to add to this is Michael Strahan.

During a podcast episode of 7PM in Brooklyn, Giants legend talked about what he thinks Roger Goodell and the NFL should do. He said, “Do I like the Eagles? Hell no. But the tush push, I’m like, eh, if everybody could do that effectively, they wouldn’t be trying to ban it….yeah, because I’m like, we can’t stop it. Y’all got to figure out a way that we can do it.” Well, that’s a fair opinion.

The Eagles began to use the tush push play in short-yardage situations in 2022. While making this formation, two or three players line up behind the quarterback, pushing him forward. And guess what? They have been successful by around 81.3%, converting the “tush push” into a first down or touchdown last season. On the other hand, other teams have also started using this play, but no other team is as successful as the Super Bowl champ.

So, now that Roger Goodell and the league are trying to ban the tush push, Giants‘ star Michael Strahan thinks there’s another way to solve this issue. He expressed, “The way I would try to stop it, we’ll probably get a fine. ‘m going to tell one of the dudes, hey, yo, when they hike it, just put your helmet right on that quarterback head. I don’t care what you got to do. Just send a message. I was watching that Redeem team. Kobe was like, I’m going to run through pal’s chest. And he sent a message. If you get a fine, cool, we’ll take care of that for you. But we’re going to send a message.” Hilarious! Giving a fine for tush push sounds scary, doesn’t it?

Meanwhile, Roger Goodell and the NFL might be over with this chit-chat soon, as an important update is likely to come next month.

Is Roger Goodell about to ban tush push?

The NFL made a few rule changes last week at the owners’ meetings. But let’s be real – the real drama is just getting started. The Packers came in swinging. They want the league to ban the Eagles’ tush push play – the unstoppable shove that turns fourth-and-short into a first down almost every time. So, since no decision has been made on the play, Roger Goodell and the NFL might bring it back to the table in May.

The tush push ban is about safety. Roger Goodell talked about risk and injury mechanics – even though, fun fact, there were zero injuries from the tush push in the 2024 season. According to the reports, the Commissioner said, “I think there are safety issues that are being considered. We have very little data from it, but it’s beyond data. There’s also the mechanism of the injury that we study, that type of thing, that leads us to show the risk involved with a particular play or a particular tackle.” But it’s not just about safety.

Some folks just hate the play. For instance, Packers coach Matt LaFleur said, “I don’t think it’s a great football play. It’s more of a rugby play.” In addition, Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy also expressed his dislike for this aggressive shove. He quipped, “I am not a fan of this play. There is no skill involved and it is almost an automatic first down on plays of a yard or less. The series of plays with the Commanders jumping offsides in the NFC Championship Game to try to stop the play was ridiculous. The referee even threatened to give the Eagles an automatic touchdown if the Commanders did not stop it.” Hence, he wants Roger Goodell to prohibit pushing or aiding the runner (QB) on this play.

In March, Detroit’s changing playoff seeding was also brought to the table for discussion. Let’s see where these two topics land before the 2025 season begins.