Philadelphia Eagles News: NFL Makes Decision On Banning Controversial "Tush Push" Play
The Philadelphia Eagles are the best team in the NFL when it comes to running the ball in for a touchdown at the one-yard line, or when picking up a much-needed first down. The reason for this is because of perfecting a play known as the "Tush Push."
The play essentially has the offensive line shoving quarterback Jalen Hurts to gain the touchdown or precious yard (s) needed to continue their play. The effectiveness of the play led to many coaches and executives questioning whether the play could be viewed as "cheating."
Per Adam Schefter, during a conference call about upcoming rule change proposals, NFL President of Football Operations Troy Vincent revealed if the "Tush Push" would be banned.
According to the conference call from Troy Vincent the "Tush Push" would remain a legal play. Schefted indicated that Vincent said, "The Eagles, do it well." As stated above, there is no other team that is better than the Eagles at this play.
Many teams attempted their version of the "Tush Push," but none were as successful—which could have led to many owners and coaches questioning the play's legality.
That is not to say that teams cannot get good at their version of the play, but they would need a significant upgrade at their offensive line unit. The Eagles had LT Jordan Mailata, LG Landon Dickerson, C Jason Kelce, RG Cam Jurgens, and RT Lane Johnson.
Not many teams in the NFL have a high-caliber offensive line like the Eagles. However, the offensive line is going through significant changes heading into the 2024 season. Jason Kelce has officially retired, leaving the team with a significant hole at their center position.
The consensus is that RG Jurgens will move to center, as he was well-respected playing the position at Nebraska. Jurgens only stepped in as right guard when Isaac Seumalo left the Eagles for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
With Jurgens presumably moving to the center position, the Eagles will also need to figure out their starting right guard situation. Newly acquired offensive lineman Matt Hennessy could be a viable option at right guard, though the team will need to experiment with Hennessy and Tyler Steen.
The good news is that the "Tush Push" will be legal for the Eagles to use in the 2024 season. The bad news is that the team might not be anywhere near as efficient after losing Kelce to retirement and several other depth pieces to free agency.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.