The Green Bay Packers have formally proposed a rule change to ban the tush push and the Detroit Lions proposed that playoff seeding be done based on record instead of automatically placing division winners in the top four spots.
Teams made several other proposals released Wednesday that will be added to additional ones made by the competition committee to be considered at the league meetings later this month, including a change to the overtime rule and the so-called legal tampering period in free agency.
Any rule change must be approved by 24 out of 32 team owners.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said last month at the scouting combine that his team wanted to ban the tush push, which is a modified quarterback sneak where two or three teammates line up behind the quarterback and push him forward to help him try to gain the yardage necessary for a first down or touchdown.
Philadelphia has used the play successfully behind Jalen Hurts for the past three seasons in short-yardage situations, including during a 40-22 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59. Other teams have tried to use it as well but without the success of the Eagles.
The proposed rule states that no offensive player may ‘’immediately at the snap, push or throw his body against a teammate, who was lined up directly behind the snapper and received the snap, to aid him in an attempt to gain yardage.‘’ Doing so would result in a 10-yard penalty.
The playoff change proposal by the Lions would have led to significant changes last season when Minnesota had to go on the road for a wild-card game against the Rams despite winning four more games than Los Angeles in the regular season. The Vikings would have hosted a game as the third seed under the proposal.
The Chargers also went on the road as a wild-card team against division-winning Houston despite having one additional win.
