How’s that old saying go? If you can’t beat ’em … ban ’em?
The NFL world reacted with different levels of shock, contempt and surprise after the NFL announced on February 24 that an NFL team submitted an official proposal to ban the “Tush Push” play made famous over the last few seasons by the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
The NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported the Green Bay Packers were the team that filed the complaint.
On a “Tush Push” — also known as “The Brotherly Shove” — Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts lines up under center with 2 teammates behind him in a short-yardage situation. Hurts takes the ball and his teammates come from behind and shove him toward the yardage he needs. It’s produced 27 touchdowns for the Eagles over the last 3 seasons.
Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy has been open in the past about his dislike for the play.
“I am not a fan of this play,” Murphy said in an online Q&A with fans on packers.com on February 1. “There is no skill involved and it is almost an automatic first down on plays of a yard or less … The play is bad for the game, and we should go back to prohibiting the push of the runner. This would bring back the traditional QB sneak.”
Reactions to the proposed “Tush Bush” ban came in hard and fast and were unsparing toward the Packers.
ESPN Analyst: ‘It’s Dumb and It’s Soft’
The Packers are coming off their second Super Bowl title in the last decade — this one via a 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX on February 9. The Eagles had the NFL’s top rushing offense along with the ninth individual 2,000-yard rushing season in NFL history with All-Pro running back Saquon Barkley.
ESPN analyst Ryan Clark didn’t mince words when talking about the Packers and their attempt to ban the famous play.
“Let’s run away from coaching and let’s try to outlaw this play?” Clark asked rhetorically. “It’s dumb and it’s soft.”
“Opponents of the Tush Push claim there is no skill involved, yet only one team has shown to have the skill to perfect it,” NFL reporter Andrew Brandt wrote on X. “The uncanny part about the Tush Push discussion is not that the Eagles have perfected it. It is that none of the 31 other teams have.”
“As a guy who played defense I hope they don’t ban the Tush Push,” ESPN’s Booger McFarland wrote on X. “Play better defense and figure out how to stop it.”
Eagles offensive tackle and NFL All-Pro Lane Johnson quote-tweeted ESPN’s Diana Russini reporting on the Packers’ proposed ban with a crying laughing emoji on his X account.
“There’s zero injury data on the Tush Push … so we are going to ban it because one team is significantly better at it than every one else?” Former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel wrote on his X account. “Come on.”
“If the Tush Push gets banned it instantly goes down as the best play ever invented in the NFL,” Eagles reporter Eliot Shorr-Parks wrote on X. “So good it had to be banned.”
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