A bunch of NFL teams tried to ban the tush push. The play survived. And now it's coming to Madden NFL 27, and I can't decide if that's hilarious or inevitable. Maybe both.

If you've watched football recently, you know the play. The Eagles made it their signature, a short-yardage powerhouse that turned into one of the most talked-about plays in the league. Enough teams wanted it gone that a formal ban effort came together. It failed. Now you can run it yourself from your couch.

According to The New York Times, EA Sports built the tush push as its own distinct mechanic instead of just another QB sneak animation. There are specific ratings thresholds that determine whether your team can actually pull it off, which means slapping it into your custom playbook with a random offensive line probably won't end well. You need the personnel. You need the push. It sounds like EA actually respected how specialized this play is in real football.

What I love about this is how it captures a genuine cultural moment in sports. The tush push became this widely and hotly debated play across the NFL, and that conversation spilled way beyond the gridiron. People were writing think pieces. Rule committees were holding votes. Casual fans who couldn't tell you what a nickel package is suddenly had strong opinions about quarterback pushes. That kind of cultural footprint belongs in a video game, because it's already living rent-free in the heads of every football fan.

The energy around sports gaming communities during reveal season is always electric, and we've been seeing that all month with the Madden ratings rolling out. Adding a play that sparked this much real-world controversy is a gift to the competitive scene. Expect to see it spammed in online lobbies until someone figures out the perfect counter.

My prediction: the first major Madden 27 tournament is going to come down to whether someone can stop a fourth-and-one tush push in the fourth quarter. Mark it down.