The Philadelphia Eagles aren’t the only team in the NFL that runs a tush push-type play. They just do it better than anybody else. After the Eagles tush pushed their way to a Super Bowl title the Green Bay Packers had had enough. The team submitted a proposal to get the play banned.
Packers’ GM Brian Gutekunst was asked about Green Bay’s effort to outlaw the Eagles’ go-to short yardage play. But his response was less than insightful as he “hasn’t really put much thought into it,” according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.
On Monday, news broke that an unnamed team had officially proposed that the competition committee ban the tush push – a rugby-style play perfected by Philadelphia where quarterback Jalen Hurts takes the snap and is pushed forward by his teammates while his massive offensive line paves the way. The play can be frustrating for Eagles’ opponents as it essentially results in an automatic first down on short yardage plays. And you know what they say, if you can’t beat ‘em, ban ‘em! Or something like that.
The Packers hope the Eagles have pushed their last tush
Anyway, the identity of the unnamed team seeking to ban the tush push really shouldn’t have been a big secret. After the Packers’ loss to the Eagles in the Wild Card round, Green Bay president Mark Murphy was outspoken about his disdain for the play. Murphy even said “There is no skill involved” in the tush push.
Of course, the Eagles’ success rate with the play compared to the rest of the league would suggest that, in fact, there is some skill involved. If the tush push was just a free first down on 4th & 1, every team would run it.
Eventually the Packers were outed as the organization that took their gripe with the Eagles’ signature play to the rules committee. Although Gutekunst doesn’t appear to have been involved in that decision. Now we’ll see if the tush push gets banned.
Eagles’ coach Nick Sirianni seemed genuinely hurt by all the bad mouthing of his beloved tush push. Sirianni argued that the team works very hard on the play and admitted that he felt insulted by the idea that it should be barred from the league.
While the Packers are behind the official proposal to ban the play (when did we all decide to call it the “tush push” when “Brotherly Shove” is clearly the superior name?) it’s unclear what their objection is. The Packers played the Eagles twice in 2024, once during the regular season and then again in the playoffs. While Philly won both matchups, the tush push was only employed twice. The Eagles kept a touchdown drive alive with the push in Week 1 and then Philly broke out the play again in the Wild Card round to pick up a 4th & 1 on a drive that eventually resulted in a field goal.
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