Although the Philadelphia Eagles' “tush push” play will remain legal for now, the notion to ban it fell just two votes short. Unsurprisingly, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was one of the executives who voted in favor of banning his rival's signature move.

As the face of one of the teams who have to defend the “tush push” the most, Jones' vote was expected. However, Jones himself is not even 100 percent sure why he wants the play banned.

“I thought, am I really against the tush push, or just don't want Philadelphia to have an edge?” Jones said, via NBC Sports. “I don't know; flip-flop.”

The tush push is undeniably efficient, with Philadelphia converting 85.5 percent of their attempts in 2024, according to ESPN. The play is a massive reason why Jalen Hurts tied Josh Allen with a league record 15 touchdowns in 2023.

Its success rate has also led to more quarterback sneak attempts. Over the last decade, there were triple the number of quarterback sneak attempts in 2023 than there were in 2016, per ESPN. Whether it is a tush push variation or a modified mock-up, teams have recognized the Eagles' success in that area.

Cowboys invest in defensive line in 2025 offseason

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With the tush push legal for at least one more season, the Cowboys are forced to continue attempting to defend it. Like the Washington Commanders and New York Giants, Dallas invested in its defensive line over the offseason to counteract the league ruling.

Despite losing starting defensive end Chauncey Golston, the Cowboys signed veterans Solomon Thomas and Payton Turner in free agency. They also took Donovan Ezeiruaku and Jay Toia in the second and seventh rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, respectively.

With the tush push in mind, the rest of the NFC East made similar moves. The Giants scooped up Golston, while adding Roy Robertson-Harris and Jeremiah Ledbetter in free agency before drafting Darius Alexander in the third round. Washington beefed up its front seven with Javon Kinlaw, Deatrich Wise Jr., Eddie Goldman and Jacob Martin.

The Cowboys will be the first team to face the tush push in 2025, kicking off the season against the Eagles on Thursday, Sept. 4. The last time Dallas opened the year against an NFC East foe, they beat the Giants 40-0 in 2023.