A year after the Detroit Lions helped defeat a ban on the tush push, opposition to the heavily-scrutinized quarterback sneak play seems to have lost its legs.
When NFL executives gather in Phoenix for their annual spring meetings starting Sunday, March 29, the tush push won’t be on the agenda of proposed rules changes.
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Atlanta Falcons CEO Rich McKay, co-chairman of the league’s competition committee, said in a video conference Wednesday the success rate of the traditional quarterback sneak surpassed the success rate of the tush push last season and “there’s less talk about” the tush push now “within the football community.”
Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) lines up for the tush push play on the goal line against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
“There was no proposal on the table to put anything in this year to deal with that,” McKay said. “There’s a position in there we take about open field and pushing and pulling that’s in there, just about the whistle and making sure that we’re as consistent as we can be in that moment, but not directed to the tush push.”
Last year, NFL owners fell two votes short of banning the tush push, with the Lions among the teams that objected to the rule change. Twenty-two teams voted in favor of the proposal, which needed 24 votes to pass.
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The Philadelphia Eagles popularized the play, converting quarterback sneaks of third- or fourth-and-1 at a rate of more than 90% in the 2022-24 seasons. The Lions stopped the Eagles on three of four tush-push plays in their loss to Philadelphia last November, and league-wide the conversion rate on the play last season fell to 76.8%, according to Front Office Sports.
Though no team proposed a ban on the play this spring – the Green Bay Packers did, at the behest of the league last year – McKay said that doesn’t mean it’s totally dead.
“I don’t know that it’s the end of the debate because I think there’s still people that are concerned with the whole pushing element,” he said. “But I would say to you that just like last year I told you there was no competition committee proposal last year on the tush push, there was no proposal the year before on that. And over the years we’ve now seen that the … number of plays it’s being used is going down.”
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions executive vice president and general manager Brad Holmes speaks during media availability at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions executive vice president and general manager Brad Holmes speaks during media availability at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes watches warmups between Michigan and Ohio State at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes watches warmups ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Sunday, November 16, 2025.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes takes a selfie with fans ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Sunday, November 16, 2025.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes arrives at Northwest Stadium before the win against the Washington Commanders in Landover, Md. on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes, left, and assistant general manager Ray Agnew walk off the field during warm up at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Martha Ford talks to general manager Brad Holmes during warm up at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes watches warmups in the season opener in Week 1 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., on Sunday, September 7, 2025.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions executive vice president and general manager Brad Holmes laughs with Miami Dolphins coaches during a joint practice at the Lions headquarters and training facility in Allen Park, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Former Lions player Robert Porcher shakes hands with general manager Brad Holmes after practice at training camp at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park on Thursday, August 21, 2025.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell, left, talks to team president and CEO Rod Wood and general manager Brad Holmes after practice during training camp at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park on Sunday, July 20, 2025.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes celebrates after his speech to graduates during North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s spring commencement at the First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C., on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes looks on before heading out for the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University spring commencement at the First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C., on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes hugs his son Bradley, 7, and daughter Lola, 4, after receiving the A & T Four statue to honor him as this year’s commencement speaker after speaking at the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s Spring 2025 commencement at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C., on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes hugs Tia Jenkins, whom he referred as “team mom” during his years as a football player on the N.C. A & T team, after speaking at the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s Spring 2025 commencement at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C., on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes, left, talks to coach Dan Campbell as they walk off the field after practice during rookie minicamp at the Lions’ Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park on Friday, May 9, 2025.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Lions general manager and executive vice president Brad Holmes, new first-round defensive lineman Tyleik Williams and coach Dan Campbell on Friday, April 25, 2025 at the Lions’ headquarters in Allen Park.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions Executive Vice President & General Manager Brad Holmes speaks to the press about their season, how it ended and what’s next at the Detroit Lions headquarters and training facility in Allen Park, Mich., Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions Executive Vice President & General Manager Brad Holmes speaks to the press about their season, how it ended and what’s next at the Detroit Lions headquarters and training facility in Allen Park, Mich., Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes is recognized during the first half of the game between Detroit Pistons and Golden State Warriors at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions executive vice president and general manager Brad Holmes, left, and Lions head coach Dan Campbell head off the practice field at the team’s training facility in Allen Park on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions president and CEO Rod Wood talks general manager Brad Holmes during rookie minicamp at Detroit Lions headquarters and practice facility in Allen Park on Friday, May 10, 2024.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes, left, talks with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the Lions game against the Chicago Bears at Ford Field, Nov. 19, 2023.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes walks off the field after the 20-6 win over the Atlanta Falcons at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes shows appreciation for fans as he walks onto the field ahead of the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Former Lions receiver Calvin Johnson and general manager Brad Holmes talk after minicamp on Thursday, June 8, 2023, in Allen Park.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. (0) fist bumps general manager Brad Holmes as head coach Dan Campbell (center) looks on and during mini camp at Detroit Lions Headquarters and Training Facility in Allen Park on Tuesday, June 6, 2023.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell, Jahmyr Gibbs from Alabama, Jack Campbell from Iowa, and general manager Brad Holmes pose during the players’ introductory news conference at team headquarters in Allen Park on Friday, April 28, 2023.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes during the NFL scouting combine at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, March 1, 2023.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
(From left) Lions coach Dan Campbell, first-round picks Jamison Williams and Aidan Hutchinson and GM Brad Holmes posed before the news conference on Friday, April 29, 2022, at the Allen Park practice facility.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Lions general manager Brad Holmes speaks to reporters during the NFL combine at the Indiana Convention Center on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Indianapolis.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Lions GM Brad Holmes speaks to the media on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022, in Allen Park.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Detroit Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp talks to general manager Brad Holmes during organized team activities at Lions headquarters in Allen Park, Thursday, May 27, 2021.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Lions general manager Brad Holmes speaks to the media on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Allen Park.
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Brad Holmes, general manager who rebuilt Detroit Lions into NFL contender
Lions general manager Brad Holmes speaks to the media on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Allen Park.
This year, owners will vote on five playing rules proposals and three bylaw proposals, all proposed by the competition committee. Two team-submitted resolution proposals also are on the agenda, to allow the trading of draft picks five years in the future (currently, picks can only be traded three years out) and to permanently allow teams one video or phone call with up to five players during the free agent negotiating window.
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Three of the rules changes relate to the dynamic kickoff – allowing teams to declare onside kicks at any point in the game, eliminating the kicking team’s incentive to kick the ball out of bounds when kicking off from the 50-yard line, and allowing a 5-4-2 alignment on kickoff returns – and two center around officiating.
If the proposals pass, league personnel would be able to consult with on-field officials in disqualification situations, and the league would allow the NFL officiating department to correct “clear and obvious” missed calls by on-field officials “that impact the game” in the event of an officials work stoppage.
The NFL and its referees association are currently negotiating a new contract.
McKay said the temporary replay assist rule is a contingency plan for replacement officials only.
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“We want to get to a deal with the officials, we’ve said that repeatedly,” NFL executive vice president for health and safety Jeff Miller said. “We want the best officials on field and we want greater accountability and we want greater performance and that’s what we’re going to continue to drive towards.”
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tush push not on agenda at NFL meetings, concern about play remains