The End of the Tush Push? Eagles Specialty ‘On Life Support’

The Philadelphia Eagles sparked debate around the NFL on their infamous “tush push” play following Sunday’s 20-17 win against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Nick Sirianni‘s side emerged victorious at Arrowhead Stadium in a rematch of Super Bowl LIX. But controversy surrounded the game as the referees appeared to miss false starts committed by the Eagles offense during the tush push plays.

Adam Schefter of ESPN noted the tactic could be coming to an end as negative attention continue to surround it.

“I think [the tush push] was on life support anyway,” Schefter said on Wednesday’s WEEI Boston’s Sports Original episode. “Frankly, I was surprised it wasn’t tossed last year. I think it has something to do with the fact that the Eagles made a compelling case to keep it.

“They brought in Jason Kelce. They presented evidence that they didn’t believe that it posed any additional player safety health risks. I was surprised it was kept last year.”

Last May, league owners voted on whether to ban the play outright. The ban did not pass by two votes, allowing the tush push to be used for the 2025 season.

Kelce, who spent 13 seasons with the Eagles between 2011 and 2023, sent a warning to teams amid the recent criticism.

“[The referees] are going to be looking for anything to call,” Kelce said on the New Heights podcast on Wednesday.

“They need to be very, very cautious, because the calls are going to be starting to come. And they should be.”

The Eagles’ win on Sunday improved their record to 2-0 entering this weekend’s home clash against the Los Angeles Rams.

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