While pushing others to get ahead may seem unfair, the NFL labels this as a valid strategy. Finding the “tush push” effective, the Philadelphia Eagles are given the go-ahead to further their plays with this technique. A quarterback sneak with a twist is the play that found the NFL owners in a critical position to either ban the play or grant its use on the field. While the play stands as an effective strategy for the short-yardage situation, there were multiple concerns about the safety of players, with a voting moment arising.
The voters’ outcome keeps the tush push play
After much debate surrounding the play, the NFL has reached a verdict, ending the discussion. The NFL’s controversial play may still commence with the NFL approving it despite the lack of votes. Navigating the votes, a 75% majority was needed for those approving of the tush push, which was 24 out of 32 votes, however only 22 NFL teams favoured the ban. While this didn’t hinder the play, the Eagles went on to show favour of the play, posting “Push on” on X.
To show the Eagles support, their retired centre Jason Kelce voiced his vote for continuing the push. Despite the voting results, the NFL continued to show favour for the controversial play with the competition committee chairman, Rich McKay, saying:
“We heard from the Eagles. Then we heard from a lot of teams in the room. We watched some videos and took all the necessary vote counts and realized that it was not a rule that was ready to be passed.”
The teams are not in favour of the play, and they remain against it
Although the tush push was shown favor from the NFL, previous voices continue to stand up with disapproval of the play due to its safety issues and unfair advantage. Making the strategy popular, the Philadelphia Eagles used the play against a team that did not appreciate it. The Green Bay Packers, after falling short to the Eagles during the playoffs, sent a proposal to the NFL that aimed to get the NFL on board, saying the play was “bad for the game.”
Showing its non-sportsmanship, the CEO of the Green Bay Packers, Mark Murphy, said:
“There is no skill involved, and it is almost an automatic first down on plays of a yard or less.”
Other teams on the same wave as the Packers are the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants, and the Washington Commanders, who voted against the play.
The tush push seems to be no problem among teams such as the Buffalo Bills, whose head coach, Sean McDermott, mentions its history in football, saying:
“Traditional quarterback sneaks have been around for a long time. The pushing of it adds the force piece, which exponentially raises my concern.”
With the voices united for the play, the NFL’s favour for the ban is heightened.
The Philadelphia Eagles made the tush push well-known
Signing it as the team play, the Philadelphia Eagles have worked on the push-tush, eventually mastering it and becoming unmatched on the field. As they target the short-yardage situations, the Eagles’ quarterback dives forward, heading to the offensive line. This action is done with the assistance of his teammates, and the quarterback positioned in this controversial play is the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts, who has scored most of his 52 rushing touchdowns from this strategy.
Poking fun at the controversy and banning conversations, the Eagles’ offensive lineman, Jordan Mailata says “In terms of them banning the tush push, I hate that name, so I hope they do ban it. It’s a stupid name.” With the reliance on this play, the Eagles continue to use it in their matches, and the consistency has helped them win the Super Bowl LIX.
Stuck between a rock and a hard place, the NFL faces criticism for allowing the tush push to continue despite the concerns raised by many. While safety issues are highlighted, those who find no problems with the tush push, draw to the innovation of the league and a legitimate way to up the competition. At the centre of the controversy is the Philadelphia Eagles, who were on the verge of losing the main play that gives them the edge. With the play labelled as a part of the playbook, the Eagles continue to thrive, and perhaps others will join the momentum.
