Whether it’s called the tush push or the brotherly shove, the Philadelphia Eagles’ famous play is going to be a talking point in the offseason once again.
The Eagles utilized the play to its fullest extent during the 2024 Super Bowl run all the way to winning a championship. And it’s become a point of contention within the NFL as The Athletic reported the Green Bay Packers submitted a proposal to have the play banned.
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Lane Johnson of the Eagles waves during the Super Bowl LIX championship parade and rally in Philadelphia, Feb. 14, 2025. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
Eagles offensive lineman Lane Johnson offered a one-emoji response to the report.
Outgoing Packers president CEO Mark Murphy revealed in his monthly Q&A column why he wasn’t a fan of the play before the Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
“There is no skill involved and it is almost an automatic first down on plays of a yard or less. The series of plays with the Commanders jumping offsides in the NFC Championship Game to try to stop the play was ridiculous,” Murphy said. “The referee even threatened to give the Eagles an automatic touchdown if the Commanders did not stop it.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts celebrates with Lane Johnson during Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Feb. 9, 2025. (Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)
“I would like to see the league prohibit pushing or aiding the runner (QB) on this play. There used to be a rule prohibiting this, but it is no longer enforced, because I believe it was thought to be too hard for the officials to see. The play is bad for the game, and we should go back to prohibiting the push of the runner. This would bring back the traditional QB sneak. That worked pretty well for Bart Starr and the Packers in the Ice Bowl.”
The NFL Competition Committee is likely going to have to decide what to do with the play. The best retort to defending the Eagles on those short-yardage situations is to not let them get into that scenario in the first place.
Before the Super Bowl, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters it wasn’t really about the play but the players who execute it.
“It’s always a topic for conversation: Should this play be banned? But the success we have is not replicated always throughout the entire league,” he added, via Pro Football Talk on Feb. 6. “We saw it last week with the game we’re studying, Kansas City against Buffalo, stopped them in a critical situation.
Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson during player introductions before the NFC Championship game against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Jan. 26, 2025. (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)
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“I guess I’m lobbying to never change that rule because we’re successful at it, but we’re successful at it because of the guys we have up front.”
Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
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