Luvu wants NFL to ban 'cheapo' tush push play

It should come as no surprise that Frankie Luvu hopes NFL owners vote to ban the tush push when they meet this week.

The Washington Commanders linebacker was penalized on three consecutive snaps in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship Game when he dove prematurely over the line in an attempt to stop the Philadelphia Eagles from scoring a touchdown on their signature short-yardage play. After the third penalty, referee Shawn Hochuli announced, "Washington has been advised that at some point the referee can award a score if this type of behavior happens again."

Luvu was asked Monday about the play, which is expected to be discussed again by owners in Eagan, Minnesota, when they meet Tuesday and Wednesday this week. The proposal, submitted by the Green Bay Packers, was tabled last month at the NFL's annual meeting in Palm Beach, Florida. Sources told ESPN's Kalyn Kahler that the vote was split 16-16 among NFL teams. Twenty-four votes are needed for a proposal to pass.

"My personal opinion? I think they should ban it," Luvu said in an interview with "Good Morning Football" on NFL Network. "But I know the argument's going to be about, 'Hey, you guys have to stop it. Don't get us in short yardage,' and whatnot.

"But it's kind of like a cheapo play. ... That's pretty much a scrum in rugby. That's how I kind of look at it. And we've got to have a scrum, too, on the other side. And the scrum is, we have a cadence where we all go at once. It's not like you hard count and this and that, where now you're getting us -- or myself -- jumping over the pile thinking that you're going to snap the ball. That's just my own personal opinion, and I'm going to leave it at that."

The play, which features two or three players lining up behind the ball carrier to try to push him past the first-down line or into the end zone, has been enormously successful for the Eagles and quarterback Jalen Hurts. Philadelphia has scored 27 touchdowns and recorded 92 total first downs on it in the past three years.

While there were some subjective concerns about the safety risk of the tush push, the NFL's health and safety department had no data that suggested a single injury had occurred as a result of the Eagles or any other team using it. Still, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said last month "there are safety issues that are being considered" with the tush push, while acknowledging there's very little data on the play.

"There's no data that shows it isn't a very safe play, or else we wouldn't be pushing the tush push," Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie has said in response to safety concerns.

Owners are also expected to vote on a proposal by the Detroit Lions, which was tabled last month, on seeding the postseason bracket by record instead of by division champions. The winners of each division would still be guaranteed a playoff spot, regardless of record, however.

The current system has led to quite a few situations where wild-card teams with much better records were forced to play a fourth-seeded division champion on the road.

The league has also issued a proposal that would allow its players to participate in flag football when the sport makes its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028.

The proposal would allow only one player per NFL team to be selected by a country for the Olympics in addition to each team's designated international player. It also provides for injury protection and salary cap credit in case of any injuries and requires minimum standards for medical staffs and field surfaces.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.