Tush push ban can be 'slippery slope,' ex-NFL star Anthony Barr says

NFL owners tabled the discussion over whether to effectively ban the tush push until May, but the talk about the decision was still hot among players and fans in the offseason.

Former NFL star linebacker Anthony Barr said in a recent interview that banning the play would cause a snowball effect in the league.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) lines up for the tush push play against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX. (Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)

“It’s a slippery slope,” the former Minnesota Vikings linebacker told TMZ Sports. “You ban one play, then what’s next?”

The Green Bay Packers submitted a proposal that would effectively ban the play, which became famous thanks to the Philadelphia Eagles and their success with it.

The Packers’ official rule change proposal would “prohibit an offensive player from pushing a teammate who was lined up directly behind the snapper and receives the snap, immediately at the snap.” The proposal added that a penalty would be assessed on any offensive player who violated the rule.

But by the end of the annual meeting, the discussion over whether to ban it was postponed. Proponents of the play and those who oppose it both presented strong arguments, while the league expressed worry about safety.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts scores a touchdown on a tush push during Super Bowl LIX. (Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Rich McKay, the NFL Competition Committee chair, said the issues go beyond safety because there’s not enough data to say whether it’s a dangerous play. The league has said there have been no injuries reported over the tush push.