This was a big week for tush push discussion.
Eagles may regret mocking Packers after tush push rule fell short – Wynston Wilcox, Fansided.com
The tush push may have survived this year, but it still seems its days are numbered.
The tush push is still a legal play (for now) after a vote of 22-10 earlier this week kept the change from happening. For a new rule to pass in the NFL, you need a super-majority of 75% in favor, meaning this proposal fell just short of adoption.
To make matters worse, the NFL chose the Green Bay Packers as the poster child for the rule change, to no avail. The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t take too kindly to that, but it will probably come back to haunt them in a year when this proposal most likely resurfaces.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the proposed rule change was the work of Roger Goodell and the league, who have a vested interest trying to ban the play. But obviously there has to be a team willing to serve as its public face, and so Goodell reportedly “nudged” the Packers to propose the ban, per Dan Patrick.
The Eagles can celebrate all they want that they get their modified quarterback sneak for at least one more year. But this will probably be the final year the play is legal. Florio added that Goodell could end up putting pressure on two of the 10 holdout teams to flip their decision when the proposal resurfaces. And it seems when the league commissioner wants something, it gets done.
The interesting thing about the effort to ban the tush push is that only the Eagles have figured out how to perfect it. When any other team attempts to try the supposedly unstoppable play, that’s when injuries occur and epic failures ensue. The NFL doesn’t have data that tracks how dangerous the play is, but if they want the play banned enough, there will be data for at least the 2025 season to back up why the play needs to be taken out of the league.
That probably won’t affect whether two teams change their minds or not. The only way teams will budge is if they play the Eagles and the tush push is the reason they lost. Other than that, Goodell might have to nudge a little harder to get this play banned.
The Eagles are better off not gloating and just enjoying it while they can, because there’s a pretty good chance the tush push will be no more after the 2025 season.
Giants restructure Brian Burns’ contract – Charean Williams, NBC Sports
New York made some cap room for Abdul Carter’s rookie contract.
The Giants signed first-round edge rusher Abdul Carter to a four-year, $45.3 million fully guaranteed contract. But to get it done, they needed to make room.
The team had less than $2 million in cap space before restructuring Brian Burns’ contract.
Field Yates of ESPN reports that the Giants converted $16 million of Burns’ base salary into a signing bonus, freeing up $12 million in 2025 cap space. That was more than enough to get Carter signed.
The Giants acquired Burns in a trade with the Panthers last year and signed him to a five-year, $141 million contract, with $87.5 million guaranteed.
Burns totaled 71 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 18 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and eight passes defensed in his first season in New York.
He now will team up with Carter to give the Giants a formidable pass rush duo.
What a new contract for Terry McLaurin could look like as Commanders star WR reportedly skips practice – Jordan Dajani, CBS Sports
Terry McLaurin could be on the verge of a new deal.
On the heels of their most successful season since the early 1990s, the Washington Commanders have remained busy this offseason. General manager Adam Peters traded for a new wide receiver in Deebo Samuel, a new left tackle in Laremy Tunsil and added a couple of notable pieces on defense in defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones. However, the work is not done.
According to Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports, Commanders star wide receiver Terry McLaurin was not at practice on Wednesday, after previously being a full participant in offseason workouts. This is not a massive story just yet, but it’s worth mentioning McLaurin is coming off a career campaign and set to enter the final year of his current contract. Is he angling for a new deal right now?
In 2024, McLaurin caught 82 passes for 1,096 yards and a franchise-record 13 touchdowns, as rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels helped guide Washington to the NFC Championship game. A whopping 44.8% of Washington’s receiving touchdowns last season came from McLaurin, which was the third-highest percentage of any player for a team in 2024, behind Brian Thomas Jr. (52.6%) and Malik Nabers (46.7%).
McLaurin signed a three-year extension worth up to $71 million in 2022, and Peters told Kay Adams earlier this offseason that the Commanders have had “some really good conversations” with his camp. It seems likely a new contract is coming, but what would it look like?
According to Spotrac’s market value tool, McLaurin could sign a three-year, $93,175,527 deal that carries an AAV of $31.1 million. That would make him the No. 6 highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL.
Spotrac’s projections should not be taken as contract scripture, but they provide great context when it comes to what players of a similar age, contract status and statistical production have signed in the past. The question is, could McLaurin get more than just $31.1 million per year?
