What if the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Tush Push becomes more than a rugby scrum? Arthur Smith isn’t confirming it. But he’s not denying it, either. Speaking to reporters Thursday, Smith hinted at a possible “counterpunch” to the play to keep defenders on their toes.
“You always have counterpunches off of it, and if the situation comes up maybe this Sunday, maybe the next Sunday, we’ll see what happens,” Smith said via a team-issued transcript. “But it’s been a productive play for us.”
Like teams with older and less mobile quarterbacks, the Steelers haven’t used Aaron Rodgers in those situations. Instead, TE Connor Heyward plays quarterback with RB Jaylen Warren and TE Darnell Washington pushing from behind. Pittsburgh successfully ran it twice in its Week 11 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, though one attempt ended with a generous spot and failed Bengals challenge.
Hard as it is for defenses to stop it, teams sell out to stop the Tush Push. In a world where offenses are always trying to stay one step ahead, Smith could try a variation off the look. He wouldn’t be the first. The New England Patriots have run sweeps to speedy RB TreVeyon Henderson. Last week, Baltimore Ravens TE Mark Andrews spun to his right off the Tush Push look and ran away from the Cleveland Browns’ defense for a long touchdown.
Nothing is preventing Pittsburgh from doing the same. But a handoff to another player creates risk. A non-quarterback like Heyward trying to make a successful mesh point with a runner, presumably Warren. And any variation that fails will be chided for being “too cute” and “overthinking” what should be a high-success dive up the middle.
“It’s been a productive play,” Smith said. “I know you look around the league, I mean, you see it run a lot. It’s interesting how they’re officiating that play. I don’t know how much I want to keep going because I don’t want to get myself in trouble.”
Officials have had a difficult time calling the play properly as teams like the Philadelphia Eagles “cheat” the snap with a guard often moving a beat before the ball is actually hiked. Pittsburgh was called for one such false start earlier this season.
Pittsburgh could move QB Aaron Rodgers from his “chaperone” spot behind the play watching it all and split him out wide. But Smith cautioned that might not make an impact.
“So if you’re going to play back there where [free safety] Kevin Byard is probably going to be on Sunday, and I’m Aaron or the quarterback, neither one of us are making that play.”
Effectively, whether a free safety like Byard is 15 yards deep or lined up over “wide receiver” Aaron Rodgers is moot. The outcome is decided from the box where the other 20 players reside. Also, Byard leads the NFL in interceptions so throwing anything near his airspace feels unwise.
On a Wildcat play in Week 3 against the New England Patriots, Rodgers split out wide and was left uncovered by the defense, throwing up the “I’m open” hand wave to no avail (to be clear, there was never any intention or passing component to the play).
Perhaps it would only come up if Rodgers was split out wide and left uncovered. Pittsburgh might try to go back to it later in the game. Still, if Connor Heyward-to-Aaron-Rodgers fails, the play will endlessly be mocked and questioned and if he plays, a one-handed Rodgers isn’t the guy who should be catching anything but snaps. If any quarterback is going to catch a pass this weekend, it’s Chicago’s Caleb Williams, who already has one in 2025.
The best thing Pittsburgh can do is keep plowing ahead. But the more the Steelers run the Tush Push, the greater chance they’ll run a variant off it. If Smith wants to do it, he should put it in the playbook soon. There’s a good chance NFL owners finally ban the play in the offseason.
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