Philly Leader

Amid ongoing discussions surrounding the controversial "Tush Push" play, Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie addressed reporters in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday during the NFL Annual Meeting.

The Tush Push play, also known as the Brotherly Shove, was among the rule proposals under consideration. However, after deliberation by NFL owners, a decision was deferred to May.

In this play, the quarterback, aided by a running back and tight end, pushes forward behind the offensive line. It is frequently used for short-yardage, aiming for a first down or touchdown. While some coaches express health and safety concerns, others criticize it as resembling rugby rather than football.

"I think for everybody, including myself especially – health and safety is the most important thing when evaluating any play," Lurie stated. "We've been very open to whatever data exists on the Tush Push, there's just been no data that shows that it isn't a very, very safe play. If it weren't, we wouldn't be pushing the Tush Push."

The Eagles, boasting a strong offensive line under Coach Jeff Stoutland and led by a quarterback capable of squatting over 600 pounds, have seen success with the Tush Push. In the 2024 season, they achieved a 39-of-48 conversion rate (81.3 percent) with the play. In previous seasons, conversion rates were 88.1 percent in 2023 and 92.3 percent in 2022.

"It's a play that's available to every other team in the league," Lurie noted. He added, "I don't ever remember a play being banned because a single team or a few teams were running it effectively. It's part of what I personally and I think most of us love about football, is that it's a chess match."

Lurie stressed the willingness to reevaluate the play if injury risks are identified. He argued that the Tush Push offers more protection to quarterbacks compared to the traditional quarterback sneak.

"We will always, always support what is safer for the players – it's a no-brainer," Lurie said. "If this is proven to be less safe for the players, we will be against the Tush Push. But until that's the case, to me there would be no reason to ban this play."

Liam Wichser authored this report.