Eagles’ Signature, Controversial Tush Push ‘Is Achieved,’ Jason Kelce Predicts

Within the wake of Philadelphia as soon as once more dealing with immense backlash for its use of the tush push, retired Eagles heart Jason Kelce supplied his ideas on the way forward for the franchise’s signature play — and it is not what you suppose.

The Eagles drew extra scrutiny after deploying the controversial play seven instances throughout a 20-17 win over the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs — in a extremely anticipated Tremendous Bowl rematch — in Week 2. Kelce, who participated in lots of tush pushes throughout his 13-year NFL profession, admitted that he believes the continued criticism will probably result in the play’s eventual demise.

“I feel the play is finished,” Kelce mentioned Friday. “I feel that there’s lots of people throughout the league, at a number of ranges, that need the play to be gone, which is okay. I feel we’ll nonetheless return to working quarterback sneak, and I’m certain they’ll determine methods to achieve success. I’m probably not that involved with it, to be very candid.”

There’s loads of criticism across the NFL nowadays in regards to the play — loathed nearly in all places however Philadelphia — and the Tremendous Bowl champion Eagles have had sufficient.

Extra groups complain in regards to the tush push than truly attempt to run the rugby-style scrum deemed so unstoppable that the Inexperienced Bay Packers proposed banning it. Their effort fell two votes quick on the NFL’s spring house owners assembly.

“My argument to [the criticism] is: the line of defense, they will gang sort out, they will push one another on prime of a working again,” Kelce added. “Why can’t I help my man? So, I feel that there’s an argument available there and that’ll fall wherever it does.”

With a reprieve, the Eagles are working up the tush push play complete with little regard for what anyone says. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts scored a landing on a tush push en path to sending the Chiefs to their first 0-2 begin since 2014.

The subsequent likelihood for the Eagles (2-0) to make use of the tush push, additionally known as the “Brotherly Shove,” comes towards the Los Angeles Rams (2-0) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET on FOX) in a playoff rematch from final season.

[MORE: Is the NFL Over Eagles’ Tush Push? One Source: ‘Let’s Not Let Them Cheat At It’]

No instance summed up how a lot the tush push is usually a ache within the butt to the opposition fairly like when the Eagles used it to maddening perfection towards Washington within the NFC Championship Recreation final season. The Commanders jumped offside 4 instances in a sequence of 5 performs whereas making an attempt to cease the tush push — incomes them a warning from the referee that he may award the Eagles a landing if the Commanders did it once more.

The Eagles transformed 96.6% of the time when working the play in fourth-and-1 conditions and have tried it 116 instances general since 2022, in line with a report from ESPN.

That’s the unimaginable half. Groups know the tush push is coming, followers at Lincoln Monetary Subject go wild when the Eagles line up for it, and but defenses nonetheless can’t cease it.

Kelce agreed this week that the tush was beginning to push the sting of honest play. “I feel they’re making an attempt to time it and going too early now and lining it up too shut,” he mentioned. “I sincerely hope (they) get again to working it like earlier than to keep away from all this nonsense over the remainder of the season. 

“I don’t have the bandwidth for a full season of impartial zone dialogue.”

However the play isn’t going wherever — no less than not this season.

The Related Press contributed to this report.

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