For men on the NFL competition committee, Mike Tomlin’s idea of suggesting rules change is heavy enough. Between questions about Aaron Rodgers and what the Pittsburgh Steelers need, Tomlin has provided a league-wide thought about the potential changes voted on this week’s owners meeting slate.
The headliner is a tash push. The exact language is unknown, but one suggestion effectively bans play, prevents “pushing” from players behind the line of scrimmage, and acquires quarterbacks forward. The Philadelphia Eagles completed the play to nearly 100% success. The rest of the league is struggling to copy it.
For Tomlin, the discussion is not about feasibility on the field, but about the potential risk of injuries, even if the concern is currently theoretical.
“There is no sample size large enough to point to statistics,” Tomlin said. I said on the team’s website The lack of injuries in the play. “But me and everyone else are just listening to the perspective of a healthcare professional in contrast to statistics, as it’s not a sufficient sample size when it comes to the number of times the play is being run, whether it’s 2024 or in general.
The drama, which looks more like rugby than soccer, is a huge mountain that it creates, is worried about injuries. Still, Tomlin is hesitant to ask for a ban.
“You don’t like to object to it because you know people are innovative, you want to respect it,” he said. “And there’s certainly a more innovative team in that respect than the rest of us, and you don’t like fines them.”
Tomlin’s past comments about Tush Push are mixed together. Last year he was reportedly one of the few people questioning the play (possibly due to his defensive background). Before facing the Eagles in 2024, he said the best way to stop a tash push is to avoid being in a position to face it. That plan didn’t work with ugly losses.
If the ban is passed, it appears to be a coin flip. The report shows There is a support ground swell But teams like the Eagles and other teams using the play probably vote against the measure. That could lead to close votes.
Elsewhere, the Detroit Lions proposed a playoff seed change in which, despite winning a top-four record compared to wildcard teams, instead of winning divisional winners earning a top-four spot.
“I’m a departmental purist who will be very honest with you,” Tomlin said, rejecting the proposal. “I love the rivals, which are division play. I love the scheduling structure that emphasizes that. I classify myself as a division purist. Division winners need to get playoff games and home playoff games.”
The lawsuit against Tomlin is that the winner of the eight-week division will receive a higher seed than a 14-win team that finished second in the division, as the Minnesota Vikings did in 2024. It seems unlikely that the proposal will be passed.
The proposed rule will be voted this past week.
