“This is a safe play?”: Jerry Jones’ son Stephen Jones sounds off as Eagles’ tush push survives NFL ban talk

The tush push ban did not move forward this offseason, and that decision has once again put the spotlight on the Philadelphia Eagles and their short-yardage weapon. While no formal proposal reached the league office before the deadline, the debate around safety and fairness refuses to fade. Stephen Jones, son of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, made sure of that during combine week in Indianapolis.

On Feb. 26, 2026, NFL executive Troy Vincent confirmed at the NFL Scouting Combine that no team submitted paperwork to outlaw the play. Without a proposal, the league cannot trigger a vote. That cleared the path for the Eagles to continue using the quarterback sneak variation that has defined their offence over the past three seasons.

Stephen Jones questions safety as tush push Ban fails to advance

Cowboys COO Stephen Jones addressed the issue on The Rich Eisen Show and his concern centred on safety. “All things are on the radar,” he said during the interview. “Are we sure this is a safe play first and foremost?” He expanded on that thought later in the segment, adding, “I’m not a big fan of the scrums and the pushing, and not just the tush push, but down the field when the runner’s getting close to stopping forward progress. And then you have the guys coming into the pile and pushing. It’s not my favourite look.”

Those comments underline why the tush push ban conversation still carries weight inside the Dallas Cowboys building that Jerry Jones oversees. Although Jerry Jones has not formally pushed a proposal this year, his front office continues to monitor the situation closely. The Green Bay Packers attempted to outlaw the play in May 2025 but fell two votes short of the required 24. The Eagles countered that the league should not penalize execution of a legal concept.

Statistically, the play no longer looks automatic. Philadelphia converted 21 of 33 attempts in the 2025 season, a 63.6 per cent success rate, after hovering near the mid 80s in prior years. Defences now crash the edges and attack the pushers, which has reduced its dominance but not eliminated its value.

For now, the tush push ban remains off the league’s agenda. Still, with Stephen Jones openly questioning its safety and leading by keeping watch, the debate feels far from settled.






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