San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh made his feelings clear on the Philadelphia Eaglesâ infamous âtush pushâ this week, and his stance is going to light up plenty of fans ahead of the matchup.
When asked directly about the short-yardage play thatâs become a league-wide debate, Saleh didnât just defend it. He essentially dared the NFL to stop complaining about it. He made his comments during a press conference on January 8.
Key details (why this matters right now)
- Saleh said heâs in favor of keeping the tush push and argued itâs only hated because it works.
- He compared banning it to âtaking out the forward passâ for teams that do certain things well.
- The NFL has already had serious ban discussions, and the issue has reached the ownersâ meeting level.
- Salehâs simplest âsolutionâ: donât give the Eagles third-and-1 in the first place.
Robert Saleh Backs the Eaglesâ Tush Push
During his press conference, Saleh was asked whether he was for or against the tush push before the season, and how a defense even stops it.
His answer: heâs for it.
âIâm for it,â Saleh said, adding that if you do something well and âthe rest of the league hates on it, itâs a good thing.â He also credited Philadelphia for mastering it, pointing out that if it were easy, âeverybody in the league would be doing it.â
Then came the line that will travel.
Saleh said if the league is going to take that play away, âyou might as well take out the forward passâ for some teams that thrive doing what they do best.
What It Means for the 49ers vs. Eagles Matchup
Saleh didnât pretend thereâs some magic schematic answer coming.
He said the best way to stop it is to avoid the situation entirely: donât allow those third-and-1 and fourth-and-1 moments where Jalen Hurts and the Eagles can unleash it.
Of course, Saleh also admitted reality: even if you play clean defense, the Eagles âwill probably get to that eventually,â meaning the 49ers may have to win a few of those trench snaps anyway.
Thatâs where the pressure ramps up for San Franciscoâs defense, because against the Eagles, short-yardage isnât just a down-and-distance. Itâs basically a four-yard playbook of pain.
Why the Play Still Has the NFL Fighting
Salehâs comments land in the middle of a real league argument, not just fan noise.
A proposal to ban the tush push-style sneak was tabled at the league meetings in April 2025 and continued to be discussed. The owners later voted on a ban proposal that fell short of the required votes, keeping the play legal (for now).
And part of the reason it wonât go away is the math: ESPN reported that since 2022, tush push attempts have been dramatically more successful than other fourth-and-1 calls league-wide, and the Eagles have been even better than the already-high average.
The Other Thing Saleh Said About Hurts
Lost a bit in the tush push fireworks: Saleh also gave a pretty direct scouting report on Hurts, calling him big, physical, and capable of making âevery single throw,â while also stressing his pocket awareness and ability to escape pressure.
In other words, the 49ers canât treat this like a one-play problem.
If Salehâs defense gets dragged into short-yardage scrums, the Eaglesâ entire offense is probably already humming, and thatâs exactly the scenario San Francisco is trying to avoid.
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