The push against the tush push is more of a push against pushing.
That’s the message that emerged when Rams coach Sean McVay was pressed on the topic during Tuesday’s pre-draft press conference.
McVay, a member of the Competition Committee, was asked a simple question: Why do you want to ban the tush push?
“I don’t know that it’s exclusively that,” McVay told reporters. “I don’t think the crux of the issue is around pushing other players, but making sure there’s clarity in terms of how it’s going to be officiated. My understanding is it’ll probably be something that’s revisited in May.”
Still, McVay has a broader question regarding how the NFL evolved to the point at which pushing the guy with the ball is standard practice.
“I think one of the things that I would talk about is it was really allowing that play to get in the first place,” McVay said. “I will acknowledge that I don’t believe in being a hater because the Eagles and the Bills do it better than we were capable of. If we executed it at that kind of level, we would probably be doing it as well. I think what it revolves around is saying we’re not in the game or in the business of pushing other people or assisting or helping the runner. We’ve allowed that into the game. When you go back a handful of years, there are some issues and conversations around the field goal block play.”
Pushing was permitted in 2006, as part of a broader change to downfield blocking rules. It took 16 years for teams to realize that pushing the quarterback could be part of the playbook.
So what will happen?
“I do think that where the issue will end up really coming to a head is talking about whether we want to prevent the assistance of pushing the runner,” McVay said. “That could take away some positive plays that we had last year where a guy gets kind of stood up and you’re pushing a pile. There was an example of that against the Jets. Even a screen that we threw to [receiver Puka] Nacua against the Vikings in the playoff game would be one of these. I’ll be interested to see. I would imagine that’s a rule that’s going to be proposed. I think it is also important.
“Everything revolves around health and safety, but also making sure that there’s clarity for the refs to be able to officiate this and then us to ultimately get it communicated to our players in regard to what our expectations are, how it’s being viewed, and what is going to be deemed legal and illegal. It was more the optics of the play that I had a problem with while also acknowledging that if we did it as well as the Eagles, we would probably be activating it a little bit more as well. I’m not afraid to admit that.”
Here’s the basic problem for the league. The genie is out of the bottle, but it’s only granting wishes in two NFL cities. That makes any effort to address the situation feel like sour grapes from those teams that can’t replicate the success of the Eagles and Bills (who run it differently than the Eagles, with the push delayed until quarterback Josh Allen has picked a lane and commenced his sneak).
As previously explained, setting the clock back to 2005 could have unintended consequences when it comes to spotting and enforcing violations that happen well away from where the ball was snapped. The cleanest way to address the potential safety issues from the tush push would be to prevent any pushing within the tackle box and within five yards on either side of the line of scrimmage.
That said, it’s much easier to sell a broader ban on all pushing as something other than a specific effort to target the tush push. Even though it’s exactly what’s happening.
Ultimately, it comes down to whether 24 or more owners will agree to it. And whether and to what extent the league office pushes for it.
Our sense is that the league is absolutely pushing for it — and our guess is that, in the same way the league office recruited the Lions to propose a change to playoff seeding, the league office pushed the Packers to put their name on the proposal that they made in March and that they’re currently reworking for May.
Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst says Green Bay’s roster can win, even without adding anyone in the draft.
“If we had to go play next week I feel really good about our roster,” Gutekunst said. “I feel like we could win and go compete. Really across the board. Hopefully as this draft unfolds we’re able to just sit back and select the best player that falls to us. I think that’s [a position] we prepare ourselves to be in.”
Asked if he wants his first-round pick to be able to play right away, Gutekunst answered, “I think you’d love to,” but added that the Packers don’t necessarily need to add someone on Thursday night who will start in Week One.
“It’s great when they do, but that’s not always the case. The transition to the National Football League is tough. It’s not always easy. A lot of times it’s really determined by opportunity,” Gutekunst said.
The Packers believe the players they draft have an opportunity to join a championship roster.
The Lions spent many years in the shadow of the Packers, along with plenty of other teams. Now, the Lions are one of the top dogs. And one of their top executives has taken a shot at their rivals in Green Bay.
Speaking at the Detroit Economic Club’s annual NFL draft luncheon, Lions president Rod Wood addressed the team’s desire to host the draft again. And he commented on Green Bay’s looming turn as the epicenter of all things football.
“Trying to get the NFL to consider bringing it back [to Detroit] because I don’t think they’ll ever top it,” Wood said, via Marlowe Alter of the Detroit Free Press. “There’s no way Green Bay will come close. They’ll finish second or as I said [earlier], they’ll finish third like they did last year [in the NFC North].”
On one hand, it was all in good fun. On the other hand, Packers fans won’t see it that way. Which will make the Lions-Packers rivalry even more spicy in 2025.
The Packers have a pair of decisions to make about fifth-year contract options this offseason.
Linebacker Quay Walker and defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt both joined the team as first-round picks in 2022, so the team can move to secure their return for a fifth season before the deadline to exercise their options early next month. During a press conference on Monday, General Manager Brian Gutekunst said that those decisions haven’t been made yet and added that the team wants to keep both players beyond their current deals.
“We won’t deal with that until after the draft, but whatever mechanism we use, we’d like to keep those guys around for ’26 and beyond,” Gutekunst said, via the team’s website. “So whether that’s through doing the fifth-year option on these guys or extending them one way or the other, we’re planning to do that. We’d like to do that.”
Walker’s option carries a salary of $14.751 million while Wyatt would stand to make $13.922 in his fifth season.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love made his pitch for the team to hold onto cornerback Jaire Alexander, but the team isn’t ready to make a decision about the veteran’s future in Green Bay.
Reports about the team’s willingness to trade Alexander popped up early in the offseason and word last week was that teams have shown interest, but that no deal is close to being completed. On Monday, Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst was asked if he’d like to resolve the situation before the end of the draft on Saturday.
“We’ll work through that,” Gutekunst said. “I don’t really have any updates on Jaire. He’s obviously on our roster right now. We’ll see how the draft goes and see where we’re at at that point.”
Injuries have kept Alexander off the field for 21 games the last two seasons and he also missed 13 games during the 2021 season, which makes it hard to count on him for 2025 while also making it hard for other teams to offer much in terms of trade compensation. If that doesn’t change, Gutekunst and the Packers will have to decide if they’ll just release him instead.
