Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley didn't mince words when addressing the failed effort to ban the team's signature "tush push" play, calling the movement "soft" and "lame" in a recent podcast appearance.
Speaking on the Exciting Mics podcast with teammates Reed Blankenship and Cooper DeJean, Barkley defended the controversial quarterback sneak that has become synonymous with Eagles football under head coach Nick Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts. "I think it's soft, to be honest," Barkley said regarding the ban attempt. "Everybody can do it. It's not a play that we only can do. We happen to have one of the best and biggest O-lines, and Jalen Hurts can squat 600 pounds. That's not our fault."
The comments come after 22 of 32 NFL teams voted to eliminate the play during the league's annual meetings. However, the effort fell short of the required 75 percent supermajority needed to change the rules. Barkley's perspective carries particular weight given that he's arguably the player most affected by the tush push's success. As the Eagles' primary goal-line weapon, Barkley has watched numerous potential touchdown opportunities go to the quarterback sneak instead. Yet the former New York Giant remains a staunch defender of the play.
The running back pointed to other talented quarterbacks who haven't found similar success with their versions of the play, undermining arguments that it's simply an unfair advantage. "Josh Allen is super big, they're not successful with it," Barkley noted, referring to the Buffalo Bills quarterback. "Lamar Jackson is one of the best running quarterbacks of all-time, they're not successful with it. So it's not something that everyone can't do. Them trying to eliminate it, I think that's kind of lame."
Barkley also made a pointed observation about the motivation behind the ban effort: "And the teams that want to get rid of it are the teams that gotta see us two or three times a year." This assessment appears accurate when examining the voting breakdown. Only two NFC teams joined the Eagles in opposing the ban — the Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints. Of the 17 games Philadelphia will play in the upcoming season, only one opponent (Detroit) voted to preserve the Eagles' signature play.
The tush push has become nearly unstoppable in Philadelphia's hands, with Hurts and the Eagles' elite offensive line executing it with remarkable consistency. The play's success stems from a combination of factors. Hurts' exceptional lower-body strength, the offensive line's size and technique, and countless hours of practice perfecting the timing and execution. While other teams like the Bills have attempted similar plays, none have achieved Philadelphia's level of success. This disparity has fueled arguments both for and against the play's continued existence in the NFL.