EA Sports Adds 7-Team Tush Push to Madden NFL 27 as Ban Effort Fell 2 Votes Short
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 12
EA Sports Adds 7-Team Tush Push to Madden NFL 27 as Ban Effort Fell 2 Votes Short
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 12
Summary
$70 Madden NFL 27 launches Thursday with the Eagles-popularized tush push, now available in the playbooks of seven teams including Philadelphia, Buffalo and Baltimore.
EA built the feature only after the NFL left the play legal; a 2025 proposal to ban it on safety grounds drew 22 of the 24 votes needed, and no new 2026 proposal emerged.
A new timing meter now governs all quarterback sneaks, with success shaped by game situation, player ratings, ball-carrier weight and defensive front to keep the play from feeling automatic.
Motion-capture sessions in Los Angeles used larger groups than typical Madden shoots to recreate the shove and pileup realistically, a process EA said was the hardest part of implementation.
Early testers said the play feels authentic but not overpowered, suggesting it may appeal most to Eagles fans rather than become an online exploit.