NEWSLETTER
The NFL’s executive vice president of football operations, Troy Vincent, told the media on Thursday that there will not be any proposals to ban the “tush push” at the year’s annual league meetings. This goal-line sneak was popularized by Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ offense, then replicated by NFL teams in recent seasons.
One of the main concerns around the tush push was that it possibly offered an unfair advantage. However, that was quelled when others tried it, unsuccessfully. According to Vincent, “The Eagles, they executed this particular play well”. He’s not wrong.
Last season, Jalen Hurts and the Eagles converted or scored a touchdown on 35-of-42 tush push attempts (83.3%), according to Sports Info Solutions. In 2022, they converted on 29-of-32 attempts (90.6%) at the tush push. That incredible success rate can be attributed to Hurts’ lower body strength and the brick of an offensive line, spearheaded by former center Jason Kelce.
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The second concern when it comes to the tush push is the risk of injury associated with the play. Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president of communications, public affairs, and policy stated “There just wasn’t injury data that would give the committee the opportunity to make a decision. Concern? Sure, as we’ve discussed. But not the kind of injury data that Troy described that the committee would be looking for.”
The Future of the Tush Push
Photo By: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Jason Kelce recently announced his retirement from the NFL after 13 seasons, all with Philadelphia. What does that mean for the future of the tush push? It’s tough to say if the Eagles will be able to execute it as skillfully without Kelce’s leverage. But we do know that he won’t miss being down there under that pile of human flesh.
NBC’s Devin McCourty asked the future Hall of Famer how the play affected him back in October. His response: “Man, all the weight and everything lying up on top of you, and you’ve got to wait for everybody else to get up before you can get up. It’s a grueling play, for sure. And, you know, if you do it right, you’re at the bottom. . . . If, if you’re not at the bottom, it usually didn’t go well.”
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