Banning the “tush push” is gaining momentum. Still, it’ll take 24 of 32 votes to eliminate a play that’s become a short-yardage staple for the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

NFL team owners, coaches and general managers are considering several potential rule changes at this week’s league meetings. Nothing has garnered more attention than Philadelphia’s version of the quarterback sneak. The Green Bay Packers issued the proposal to ban it, citing player safety and pace of play, although NFL executive Troy Vincent said last month there have been zero injuries reported as a result of the play.

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans is among the ban’s opponents. “It’s tough to punish a team for being really good at something,” Ryans said.

The NFL competition committee has recommended sticking with the kickoff rule that was redesigned last year and tweaking it to move touchbacks to the 35-yard line in hopes of generating even more returns.

The Detroit Lions proposed that playoff seeding should be based on record instead of automatically placing division winners in the top four spots.

The committee also proposed an expansion of instant replay to allow replay assist to consult on-field officials to overrule objective calls such as facemask penalties, whether there was forcible contact to the head or neck area, horse-collar tackles or tripping if there was “clear and obvious” evidence that a foul didn’t occur. Replay would also be able to overturn a roughing the kicker or running into the kicker penalty if video replay showed the defender made contact with the ball.

NFL executive Peter O’Reilly said the league is considering potentially playing a game in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

NFL owners approved flexing Sunday games to Thursday night with 21 days’ notice. Only one game was flexed over the past two seasons when teams had to be informed with 28 days’ notice.

Campbell set for 18th season with Cardinals

Veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell has agreed to a one-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals, returning to the franchise that drafted him for his 18th NFL season.

The six-time Pro Bowl selection played his first nine seasons in the league with the Cardinals and was a member of the team that made the Super Bowl in the 2008 season before losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 38-year-old Campbell started all 17 games for the Miami Dolphins last season and had 52 tackles, five sacks, 12 quarterback hits, 12 tackles for a loss, five passes defended and a forced fumble.

NBA

Two Wolves suspended for scuffle with Detroit

Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart was suspended for two games and four other players from the Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves drew one-game suspensions for their roles in an on-court altercation between the teams earlier this week, the NBA said.

Stewart got two games “based in part on his repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts,” the league said.

The NBA handed the one-game bans to Detroit’s Ron Holland II and Marcus Sasser along with Minnesota’s Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo. All five of those players were ejected from Sunday’s game, as were Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff and Minnesota assistant Pablo Prigioni. Reid and DiVincenzo are serving their suspensions for Tuesday’s game in Denver.

The incident began when Holland fouled Reid with 8:36 left in the second quarter of the Timberwolves’ 123-104 victory over the Pistons in Minneapolis. Reid confronted Holland, who then pushed DiVincenzo, who then shoved Holland — and they wound up falling into spectators seated along the baseline.

Stewart and Sasser then entered the altercation, “which resulted in a continued escalation of the situation,” the league said.

BRIEFLY

MiLB >> The Saints add a second shutout, blanking the Columbus Clippers 5-0 on the road, with 5 shutout innings from Zebby Matthews.

NFL >> Paul Brown just moved up a few spots on the NFL career coaching wins list as player, coach and team statistics from the All-America Football Conference are incorporated into the official NFL records. Brown’s team won AAFC titles from 1946-49.

— From news services