In something of an upset (to the majority of the NFL's teams), a vote to ban the "Tush Push" (or "Brotherly Shove" or whatever) was unsuccessful on Wednesday. Only 22 of 32 cowards voted to ban the play when 24 cowards were needed, so the play will survive for at least another year.
There were some new rules that did go into effect, so for the sake of being thorough let's take a moment to review the notable changes, and how they might impact the Philadelphia Eagles.
Onsides kicks can now occur in any quarter
In 2024, teams could only attempt onsides kicks in the fourth quarter.
The team attempting the onsides kick must be trailing. That part of the rule is unchanged.
How does this affect the Eagles? If teams are attempting onsides kicks in the third quarter, they're pretty much done.
I was curious if the Chiefs would have had the opportunity to attempt an onsides kick in the third quarter in the Super Bowl, and, yep. They scored their first points with 34 second left in the third quarter, and very likely would have tried an onsides kick, down 34-6.
NFL players can compete in Olympic flag football
The NFL voted unanimously to allow players to compete in flag football in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Our Geoff Mosher covered that in more detail a week ago.
I have my money on the United States.
How does this affect the Eagles? Jalen Hurts is kind of the face of this.
It’s our turn to light up the LA28 Olympic Games. #NextUpLA28 pic.twitter.com/PEgQOqpmUx
— NFL (@NFL) August 5, 2024
Expect him to be involved, assuming he's still good and healthy in 2028.
There will be no new playoff reseeding format
The Lions proposed a new playoff seeding formula in which teams with the best records would get the highest seeds, regardless of their division.
Presently, the top four seeds go to the division winners, and there's often a crappy team that gets a home game because they won their crappy division.
Here's what seeding looked like in the NFC last year, and what it would have looked like under the Lions' proposal:
| Seed | 2024 seeding | Lions proposal seeding |
| 1 | Lions | Lions |
| 2 | Eagles | Eagles |
| 3 | Buccaneers | Vikings |
| 4 | Rams | Commanders |
| 5 | Vikings | Packers |
| 6 | Commanders | Buccaneers |
| 7 | Packers | Rams |
Reseeding would also, in theory, make more Week 18 games meaningful.
This proposal didn't get enough support to pass, so the Lions pulled it.
Offensive linemen will now get some love at the annual NFL Honors show the week of the Super Bowl
There are awards for league MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Players of the Year, Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year, etc., but no love for o-linemen.
There is now, as there will be a new award called the "Protector of the Year."
How does this affect the Eagles? Fans are just going to be frustrated when this award goes to some player not as good as Lane Johnson every year.
The following rules were also passed at the NFL Owners Meetings in Palm Beach in March.
Touchbacks now come out to the 35 yard line
In an effort to encourage more kick returns last season, the NFL adopted an entirely new look for kickoffs, including a starting spot at the 30 yard line after touchbacks. And yet, not a lot changed, as most teams simply booted the ball through the end zone anyway. That will probably change in 2025, as teams will be less likely to concede their opponents' starting position at the 35. So, you know, expect to see more kick returns going forward.
How does this affect the Eagles? If there was one area where the Eagles were shaky in 2024, it was their kick coverage, notably in their Week 16 loss to the Commanders. They did (surprisingly) finish 13th in kick coverage DVOA. Their kick return unit finished 16th.
The Eagles would prefer that their offense and defense decide the outcome of games, not their special teams units, so this is probably not a great rule change for them. It certainly is better for any fan that actually likes seeing kick returns instead of touchbacks.
Playoff overtime rules now also apply to the regular season
Teams will now get a chance to possess the ball at least once, regardless of the outcome of the first overtime possession, unless the receiving team eats up the entire overtime clock. This rule also reduces the overtime clock from 15 minutes to 10.
How does this affect the Eagles? This rule was actually proposed by the Eagles. And certainly, good teams will prefer this overtime method, which reduces the importance of winning the coin toss. Also, in the case of the Eagles, a team capable of holding onto the ball for super long drives, the reduction from 15 minutes to 10 allows them a potential opportunity to possess the ball for the entirety of overtime.
Teams can talk to players — and not just their agents — during the two-day "legal tampering" phase of free agency
Remember when the Eagles almost got in trouble for talking to Saquon Barkley before contact with him was permitted? Well, that would now be legal under this new rule. There are some restrictions on how much contact a team can have with a free agent, and how many free agents they're allowed to have contact with, but it's still a major change.
How does this affect the Eagles? The Eagles have a good story to sell to free agents, so this is a favorable rule change for them.
Expanded use of replay assist
Flags can now be picked up if "clear and obvious video evidence exists" that an official threw a weak flag for defenseless player, facemask, horse collar, tripping, and roughing/running into the kicker penalties.
How does this affect the Eagles? Again, the more the league can do to eliminate factors that decide games other than the play on the field, the better that is for a good team like the Eagles.
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