Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay didn't hold back when offering his opinion of the notorious "tush push" play in an interview with PFT Live on Monday.
As one of the most creative minds in the NFL and a member of the league's Competition Committee, McVay pointed out that the play that the Philadelphia Eagles have pioneered lacks visual appeal and could lead to unnecessary injuries.
"What I don't like is the optics of that play," he said. "Looks like a rugby scrum. And there are some health and safety things, which those things exist in short yardage and goal line situations as well."
A Green Bay Packers' proposal to ban an "immediate" push of the ball carrier was tabled during the Annual League Meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday.
The reigning Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles have mastered the play, turning it into a near-unstoppable short-yardage weapon with quarterback Jalen Hurts under center.
McVay, like a vast majority of other coaches around the league, hasn't found a perfect solution when it comes to defending it. Still, he's not faulting the Eagles for taking advantage while the rest of the league figures out how to crack the code.
"I'm kind of conflicted because you don't wanna be a hater because they do it better than anybody else, so I don't agree with that," McVay said. "But I also wish we didn't let the play in in the first place in regards to just the optics of what it looks like. Doesn't look like football to me."
Any future rule change to ban the controversial play would require the approval of at least 24 teams.
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This story was originally published April 3, 2025 at 10:41 AM.