If the Philadelphia Eagles had to have their past half decade summed up in a single play, it would be the “Tush Push”.
The play, also known as the “Brotherly Shove” in Philly, has bought quite the controversy amongst fans and members of the media alike.
Some argue that the play is an ugly “cheat code”; it’s ultra-high level of effectiveness takes the suspense and risk element out of previously more contestable short down yardage plays. They maintain that the shove almost resembles a rugby-esque scrum more than it actually pertains to a football play.
And there are others who tell those people to stop whining.
Is The “Tush Push” Cheating?
The play is open for every team to use, but as we saw on Championship Weekend; where the Buffalo Bills went 1-4 on the play, something that was likely the difference maker as the Chiefs edged them 32-29; not every tush push is created equal.
At its peak, the push had a crazy 93% success rate in Philadlephia. And whilst its efficacy has dropped around 10 percentage points since last offseason’s retirement of center, Jason Kelce, it still remains one of the league’s most dominant plays.
Amidst calls for the play to be axed this offseason from NFC rivals, it seems like the real likelihood of this happening is low.
NFL Unlikely To Ban Tush Push, Per Insider
James Palmer of Underdog Fantasy and Bleacher Report did a deep dive into the play, and drew some conclusions that will give major reassurance to Eagles fans.
Don’t expect the tush push to be banned any time soon, per @JamesPalmerTV: pic.twitter.com/9mJPf34ZHW
â Underdog NFL (@Underdog__NFL) February 5, 2025
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“When you look into it, here’s the things you have to remember”, Palmer claims, “This is a play that has been closely monitored by the league over the last couple of years. It is also one that does not have as much pushback as you may assume from people inside the league…There wasn’t even a proposed ban put on the table last offseason.
Lastly, in the AFC Championship game, it was a play that Josh Allen and the Bills struggled with and the Chiefs consistently stopped. So when you look at the play universally across offenses in the league, it is not a distinct advantage. As of right now it’s still considered just a legal play that the Philadelphia Eagles are better at than anybody else”.
Palmer is right, the Tush Push is open season for any team that wants to use it. In fact the only reason it is an advantage for the Eagles is due to their outstanding offensive line and monstrous QB athlete, Jalen Hurts, who can squat up to 600 lbs.
“Only” is perhaps doing a lot of work in that sentence, but the sentiment remains – if you want to get better at any facet of the game, bring in players who fit that mould and can dominate at what they do best.
Whilst the calls for its elimination will not be ending any time soon, it feels like, barring any sudden shift or major change in league practices, the play is here to stay.
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