The final 2025 tush push proposal would have wiped out TreVeyon Henderson's first TD vs. Jets

As the tush push debate continues to toggle from simmer to boil, there's an important point to remember regarding the expected 2026 attack on the play.

Last night's first touchdown from Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson was fueled by a multi-teammate shove into the end zone. If the rule change that came within two votes of passing had cleared the 75-percent minimum, that play would have violated the revised standard.

It didn't start that way. The initial proposal from the Packers (as prompted by the league office) focuses solely on the tush push formation. When it failed to get sufficient traction during the March ownership meeting, the forces opposed to the tush push regrouped, reevaluated, and ultimately rewrote the proposed rule.

By May, the focus was far more general. The anti-tush push crowd wanted to rewind the rulebook to 2005. No pushing of the ball carrier, anywhere on the field.

If adopted, that would make the shoving of a player into the end zone a violation.

Of course, it's not enough for a play to violate the rules as written. The officials still have to call it. And the officials habitually don't call a foul for the pulling of a runner, even though it remained a prohibited tactic even after pushing was permitted. Earlier this year, a blatant pull of 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey during a Sunday night game against the Falcons was not called.

The point for now is this. If the tush push goes, other things will go to, at least in theory. And those consequences will include the move that propelled Henderson to paydirt on Thursday night for the Patriots.