PALM BEACH, Fla. — The future of the tush push will be decided at a later date.
But if it were up to Kellen Moore, it wouldn't be going anywhere.
The New Orleans Saints coach said Tuesday he felt “very comfortable” with keeping the play in place as the league debates the future of it. On Tuesday, NFL owners decided to table the Green Bay Packers' proposal to ban the play — deciding more discussion was needed before making a final decision. The next league meeting is scheduled for mid-May.
Moore obviously learned the intricacies of the play — which involves shoving the quarterback from behind — and ran it often last year as the Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator.
So, if the play is still legal, will Moore run it in New Orleans? Or more specifically, does he have the personnel to run it?
“I don’t know,” Moore said at the NFL owners’ meetings.”We’ll see. Obviously, I think other teams have tried to replicate it and have not had success. I think investment is — (Eagles coach) Nick (Sirianni) has done a phenomenal job. It’s a huge investment to execute that play at a really high level, and they put a lot of time and effort into it.”
The future of the tush push, also known as the Brotherly Shove, became hotly contested this week at the league’s meetings after Green Bay’s proposal to ban it. ESPN that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman had a “private and animated side conversation” with Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay and Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott — two coaches who have voiced their opposition against it — about the play.
McDermott has said he has worried about players’ safety on the play, even though the league said there hasn’t been enough data to suggest the tush push is more dangerous than other types of plays. Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur has also said he doesn’t see it as a “football play.”
Others — like Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel — said they were for the play continuing because they didn’t think it should be outlawed just because it’s hard to defend.
Moore made his thoughts on the matter clear.
“There’s no injury data,” Moore said. “Percentage-wise, the likelihood of converting on it is pretty much the same as every other run. I don’t see any issues.”