The NFL season has just begun, but the Philadelphia Eagles have already found themselves tied up in controversy. The problem stems from a play named the “tush push.” The play is used in short yardage situations, where the quarterback lines up under center and is pushed forward by two or three players lined up behind him after taking the snap. The Eagles have run the play a total of 114 times since 2022, when the technique was first introduced. Ever since that first snap, however, some players and fans have criticized the play.
“I think they should ban it. But I know the argument’s going to be about ‘Hey, you guys should 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,” said Washington Commander Linebacker Frankie Luvu during an interview with NFL Network’s Good Morning Football.
The tush push was also a hot topic between NFL owners in the offseason. During the NFL’s annual league meeting, owners from all 30 teams gathered to discuss the Tush Push, and many owners called out the unsafe nature of the play, noting it could cause injuries. Former Eagles center Jason Kelce attended the meeting and defended the tush push.
“This isn’t a play where you’re going to see these large, large injuries, in my opinion, because it’s just not what it is. The play is relatively safe,” said Kelce on his podcast “New Heights.”
Still, concerns over the tush push led the NFL to hold a vote of all 30 team owners to decide the fate of the play. It needed 24 votes to be banned, but it only received 22. This means the tush push remains a legal play going into the 2025 season. The vote shocked many fans, who thought the play was certain to be banned.
Despite the voting outcome, fans’ dislike of the play has been refueled due to the Eagles already running the tush push 10 times throughout three different games this season. Some have mentioned how it can lead to both teams lining up offside, and the Eagles often having false starts, all without flag being thrown.
“I am done with the tush push, guys. It’s a hard play to officiate,” said Fox Rule Analyst Dean Blandino during the Eagles’ week two game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
With the tush push remaining legal for the foreseeable future, the Eagles insisting on using it as a tactic, and fans continuing to fret, it’s likely to be some time before the NFL puts to bed one of the most controversial plays in league history.
