At the NFL scouting combine, the controversial "tush push" play has come under intense scrutiny. Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni is vocally protective of the tactic, which has proven highly successful for his team. Despite its effectiveness, the play may soon face prohibition as NFL owners prepare to vote on a proposal to ban it during next month's annual league meeting. To pass, the proposal requires approval from 24 of the 32 NFL owners.
The "tush push" involves players lining up behind the quarterback to push him forward against the defense. The Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills have executed the play with remarkable proficiency, achieving either a touchdown or a first down on 87% of their attempts. In contrast, the rest of the NFL has only managed a success rate of 71%. Since 2022, the Eagles have run 108 tush pushes, significantly more than any other team, with the Bills following at 55 attempts and the Chicago Bears at 16.
Nick Sirianni, steadfast in his defense, emphasized the hard work and practice involved in perfecting the play.
"I can't tell you how many times we've practiced the snap, we've practiced the play — it's not a play that's easy to practice, so there's different ways we've figured out how to practice it — the complements that come off of it that can create explosive plays" – Nick Sirianni
The NFL and its competition committee have previously examined the play in past offseasons, yet no action has been taken. However, with growing concerns about player safety and fairness, the debate surrounding the tush push has intensified. Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott expressed concerns about potential injury risks associated with the play.
"there's always been an injury risk with that play" – Sean McDermott
Sirianni, however, disputes these claims and argues that the perception of automatic success undermines the effort put forth by his team.
"The fact that it's [portrayed] as an automatic thing, we work really hard, and our guys are talented at this play, and so it's a little insulting to say we're good at it so it's automatic. We work really hard at it" – Nick Sirianni
Outgoing Packers president Mark Murphy has labeled the play as "bad for the game," while Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst confirmed his team's proposal to ban it. Despite these criticisms, Sirianni remains unconvinced by injury concerns.
"I think if you look at that, because we've looked into that, too, there wasn't a lot of injuries there. I think that's a little made up, to be honest" – Nick Sirianni
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