Payton: Tush Push Stays Despite Safety Concerns

0:00On February 26, Broncos' head coach Sean Payton spoke out on the NFL's Tushpush play, saying any future ban would come down to its looks, not player. Safety concerns. He pointed back to league talks last year that dragged on for two hours before they kept the play and switched up the kickoff rules instead. Usage climbed last season with teams running it 112 times, up from 101 the year before in 2024 though. Success rates slipped to 75% from 82% earlier. Payton admits he is not a fan and rarely uses it himself, but he still backs it staying legal since it works when teams need a short game. For the 2026 season, expect the Tushpush to stick around as changing that would need a formal proposal and votes from 25 team, owners. Owners.