The Philadelphia Eagles execute a tush push for a first down against the Dallas Cowboys during the fourth quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

NFL puts Eagles on notice over tush push play

By Jordan Sigler | Last updated Sep 18, 2025 7:45 PM ET

Following the Philadelphia Eagles' 20-17 win on Sunday, Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones told reporters that he felt the Eagles benefited from an illegal early start on their tush play.

The NFL agrees.

Per Mark Maske of the Washington Post, the league officials deemed Philadelphia should have been called for a false start on Sunday and warned that officials would call those plays "tight" moving forward.

Upcoming at https://t.co/GXHkX9kbHu: The NFL said in its officials' training tape sent to all 32 teams this week that the Eagles should have been called for false-starting on the tush push Sunday against the Chiefs, instructing officials to call “these plays tight."
— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) September 18, 2025

The Eagles has been warned

The training tape used the example of the Eagles committing a false start penalty before using the tush push on a 3rd-and-1 play with 5:29 remaining in the fourth quarter. Philadelphia successfully converted a first down.

Per Maske, the league wants to make sure "every aspect" of the tush push is used legally by the offense.

The NFL also says on its officials' training tape of the tush push: "We want to make sure that we officiate these plays tight and make sure that every aspect of the offensive team is legal and any movement… that’s not correct, we want to shut it down as a false start."
— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) September 18, 2025

The league was interested in banning the tush push before the season because of safety reasons, but not enough owners voted against the measure.

While the Eagles are still permitted to call the play, they're going to have to execute it to the full letter of the law, or they're going to incur a five-yard penalty.

The tush push is a near-perfect play because of its difficulty to defend. The best way to stop it is to hope the Eagles beat themselves before snapping the ball.

Jordan Sigler

Jordan Sigler is a sports writer with a decade of experience as a journalist, including his time as a breaking news/day cops reporter for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. His sports coverage across the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL, and college football world has also been featured at ChiCitySports, Gridiron Heroics, Pro Football Network, and Athlon Sports. Based in Austin, Texas, Jordan graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism from Texas Tech University in 2014

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