The Heat Cools in the Desert
For two years, the “Brotherly Shove” sat at the center of a league-wide firestorm. Critics called it an eyesore. Defenders called it an exhibition of pure strength. But as the 2026 rules agenda went public, the controversial play was nowhere to be found. The Competition Committee prioritized kickoff tweaks and replay corrections over a ban that failed to gain traction last spring.
The numbers explain the silence. In 2024, the Philadelphia Eagles converted the play at a staggering 80% clip. By the end of 2025, that success rate plummeted to roughly 64% as injuries to the Eagles’ front five—specifically All-Pro Lane Johnson—took their toll. Defenses finally adjusted. The “unstoppable” force met a very real, very physical wall.
- 2024 Success Rate: 80% (League High)
- 2025 Success Rate: 68% (Eagles Average)
- 2025 League Total: 112 attempts (Up from 101 in 2024)
“There is less talk about it in the football community right now. No team offered a formal proposal to ban it this year. The game is in a good place, and the data doesn’t support a safety mandate.”
— Rich McKay, NFL Competition Committee Co-Chair
The Strategic Shift
While the Eagles popularized the shove, other teams mastered it in 2025. The Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks became heavy users, with Seattle tight end AJ Barner even taking direct snaps to execute the play. By spreading the success across multiple franchises, the “Eagles advantage” argument lost its teeth.
Walking through the lobby of the Arizona Biltmore this week, the tension that once defined these meetings was absent. Last year, the Green Bay Packers led a charge that fell just two votes short of a ban. This year? The Packers remained quiet. The focus has shifted to the potential use of replacement officials and the “intentional grounding” nuances. For Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen, the green light stays on. Short yardage still belongs to the bold.
