The Philadelphia Eagles can't lose no matter how the owners vote next month on the proposal to ban the Tush Push. Either they get to keep their nearly unstoppable short-yardage play, or they get to use the potential ban as a rallying cry to galvanize the team as they try to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
The Eagles looked like the hungrier team against the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. It's not easy to keep that momentum going. Guys read their own headlines and become complacent, or they become dissatisfied with their contracts or roles. That's why the Chiefs repeating in 2022 and '23 was such a huge accomplishment. The league appears ready to step in and provide enough bulletin board material to keep Philadelphia going well into next season.
We've seen teams that feel like they're being unfairly persecuted come together and go on runs. In 2007, the Patriots' 16-0 regular season was fueled by pure rage at how the NFL came down on them for Spygate. Bill Belichick created an "Us vs. the World" storyline to fire up his team. Philadelphia coach Nick Sirianni would use the same tactics. The Eagles might not go undefeated like that New England team but they have the talent to come close even if they don't have the Tush Push.
The football reality of the play is overstated. Philadelphia converted 81.3% of its Tush Push carries into touchdowns or first downs last season. That's down from 88.1% in '23 and 92.3% in '22. While that's not a big enough sample size, the trend could indicate the rest of the league is figuring out a way to slow it down. Officials also started to watch the offensive line a lot closer for false starts and that scrutiny will only get worse moving forward. Last season's success rate is on par with the NFL average for normal QB sneaks.
Even if the Eagles aren't allowed to execute the Tush Push as is, they still have the strongest quarterback in the NFL in Jalen Hurts and the best offensive line coach in the NFL, Jeff Stoutland. The only reason every team doesn't run more sneaks is fear for their star quarterback's health. The Eagles don't have that concern with Hurts. They will convert a high percentage of third-and-1's and fourth-and-1's with or without the push.
While the Tush Push was effective, it wasn't the driving force behind the Super Bowl run. The Eagles had the No. 1 defense in the NFL and the No. 8 offense. They were a complete team with a strong mix of veteran and young players. They didn't need what some people call a "gimmick play" to achieve any of their success. They won't need it next season, either.
Beyond the football logistics, the narrative implications are significant. The Tush Push will be remembered as an offensive innovation in the same conversation as the Lombardi sweep or Bill Walsh's West Coast offense. Sirianni isn't known as an X's and O's guy. Now he'll get credit for a play so unstoppable they tried to ban it. The NBA had to change its rules because of Wilt Chamberlain. Now the NFL must adapt to the mind of Nick Sirianni.
The current version of the Eagles fits Philadelphia perfectly. It's a city that's been down but never gives up, that's not always pretty but finds a way. The city that inspired the movie Rocky. The birthplace of the American Revolution. A place where every team should be able to pursue life, liberty and the pursuit of first downs.
Eagles fans love the Tush Push. They also love to yell at opponents. The league conspiring against them would fold right into their identity as an intimidating force surrounding the gridiron at Lincoln Financial Field.
Roger Goodell already gets booed at the draft. Can you imagine what the commissioner will face at the season-opening Thursday night game if this proposal passes? The unlucky official who draws that night's assignment would be wise to call in sick. Any call against the Eagles will elicit a near riot. Their significant home-field advantage would only grow in a post-Tush Push world.
According to ESPN, 16 owners already voted to outlaw the play during this week's league meetings. The owners will likely tweak the Green Bay Packers' original proposal to clarify the language. The NFL will likely find a health expert to argue it's potentially unsafe. Goodell himself will probably try to convince some teams to change their minds because he doesn't think it looks good on television. There are enough new factors to convince some owners to change their vote.
But before any Eagles fans panic, remember, the NFL is the king of creating unintended consequences with rule changes. This might seem like a big blow in the moment. Count on Sirianni and the Eagles to turn it into a driving force during the grind of the '25 season.
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This story was originally published April 3, 2025 at 5:00 AM.