Why the Eagles’ Jam-Packed Schedule Could Spark a Controversial Rule Change You Didn’t See Coming

The anticipation is thick, isn’t it? Even before the official NFL schedule drops, the chatter is all over town: the Eagles are set to dominate prime-time viewership again with four standalone games that’ll light up screens nationwide. As the reigning Super Bowl champs, it’s hardly shocking—but still, it really hammers home what’s brewing behind the scenes for the league’s upcoming owners’ meeting in Minneapolis. With these marquee matchups happening when the spotlight’s solely on them, it’s pretty clear the league is gearing up for a serious shakeup—specifically targeting the notorious “tush push” play. You can almost feel the tension, as the very real possibility looms that this controversial tactic is on its last legs, especially with millions watching every move. That makes you wonder—not just about the rule itself, but what the Eagles will pivot to once it’s gone. Spoiler: Expect a crafty, just-as-effective quarterback sneak to slip right back into the mix. If you’re hungry for the full rundown and what it means for the NFL landscape, you’ll want to dive deeper right here. LEARN MORE

The Eagles will play in the Thursday night season opener against the Cowboys, a Week 10 Monday night game against the Packers (who have proposed the banishment of the play, either directly or as a straw man), the Black Friday game against the Bears, and a December 20 Saturday doubleheader against the Commanders.A day before the official schedule release, we already know that the Eagles will have four big-audience, standalone games. While it’s not a surprise for the defending Super Bowl champion to figure so prominently in games that will be seen by many millions, the news underscores the news that is destined to come next week.With so many games that will be played when no other games are being played, the league will be even more likely to get the tush push out of the sport when the owners reconvene on May 20-21 in Minneapolis.Although the league has been moving the tush-push goalposts more aggressively than hurricane at Hard Rock Stadium, the various reasons for getting rid of the play apply even more strongly when everyone is watching. If, as the league supposedly believes, a catastrophic injury could happen on the play, the league won’t want it to happen before well over 20 million fans. Likewise, if it’s an aesthetics issue, the optics become even uglier if a huge audience is watching.And then the Eagles will revert to running a highly effective quarterback sneak, creating basically the same results.Regardless, the tea leaves already hinted that the ivory tower is coming down on the tush push. The fact that at least four — and likely more — Eagles games will be played at a time when many are watching will only make it more likely that sufficient arms will be twisted to torpedo the tush push.