Opponents of the “Tush Push” may have to modify their case for banning the play beyond health concerns.
The Green Bay Packers formally proposed outlawing the polarizing quarterback sneak. Twenty-four of 32 owners must agree to jettison the rugby-style scrum popularized by the Philadelphia Eagles.
While many critics simply don’t like the play, some have expressed safety fears regarding the highly physical line-of-scrimmage battle. However, that’s unlikely to be why the league bans the Tush Push.
According to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, the NFL reported zero injuries incurred during the Tush Play play in the 2024 season.
That wasn’t the case in 2023. Two New York Giants players (tight end Daniel Bellinger and center John Michael Schmitz) got hurt on the same unsuccessful Tush Push attempt.
Earlier this month, Packers president Mark Murphy said the Tush Push involves “no skill.” General manager Brian Gutekunst responded to his team’s proposal at the NFL Scouting Combine.
“We’re not very successful against it, I know that. But to be honest with you, I have not put much thought into it,” Gutekunst said. “It’s been around for a while. We’ve used it in different fashions with our tight end. So again, I think there will be a lot of discussions about it. I’ve got to look at some of the information as far as injury rates, things like that, to see.”
SAO PAULO, BRAZIL – SEPTEMBER 6: The Philadelphia Eagles run the tush push play during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, at Arena Corinthians on September 6, 2024 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
Brooke Sutton/Getty Images
Naturally, the Eagles aren’t in favor of a ban. On Tuesday, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni called it “a little insulting” that critics portray the Tush Push as an automatic play.
“I can’t tell you how many times we practice the snap, we practice the play, because it’s not a play that’s easy to practice,” Sirianni said, per NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Reuben Frank. “There’s different ways we’ve figured out how to practice it and how [it] can create explosive plays. Like, we work really, really hard and our guys are talented at this play.”
Sirianni also successfully predicted that the data wouldn’t uncover any grounds to eliminate the Tush Push out of safety concerns.
“I think when you look at that, because we’ve looked into that too, there weren’t a lot of injuries there,” Sirianni said. “I think that’s a little made up, to be honest. Now the numbers will tell the truth, but I don’t think there were many injuries with it this year.”
