The Eagles’ victory at Super Bowl LIX has been followed by incomings and outgoings that have given the Super Bowl winners a new look ahead of the coming NFL season. Also, their run to Super Bowl glory has seen a controversy ravage the NFL that could give the gameplay landscape a new look, as one of their major tactics: tush push, has been placed under intense scrutiny and is now in contention for a possible ban.
At the NFL owners’ meetings this week, votes will be cast to determine the fate of “tush push,” a situation Nick Sirianni has been vocal about to ensure the decision favours the Eagles by all means, even a playful threat.
The Eagles, en route their Super Bowl triumph, made the tush push an ever-reliable short-yardage weapon against opponents. Behind the unquestionable strength of Jalen Hurts and the best offensive line in the league, the Eagles have continued to dominate in the trenches with this play. Even with their creative wrinkles that have surprised everyone.
Nick Sirianni has not been silent regarding the tush push ban, advocating that their unique strategy intends no harm, hence should be unhindered. He perceives it as a mere strategy that could be duplicated by any team, rather than as an unfair advantage.
Recently, in a conversation with NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo, he went mathematical, making a rough estimate of the head coaches that will join him in voting in favor of the tush push and against the rule change.
“We’ll see how it goes,” Sirianni said. “All I will say about it is [Jonathan] Gannon, [Shane] Steichen and [Kellen] Moore better vote for it. They are in the [head coach] position right now because of that play. So all three, I better have those three votes right there and the Eagles’ vote. I at least know we have four.”
Gannon, who was the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, has been leading the Arizona Cardinals since 2023. Shane Steichen has also been coaching the Indianapolis Colts since the same year after leaving his role as Sirianni’s offensive coordinator. The most recent exit was Moore’s, who left his role as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator after their Super Bowl win and became the head coach of New Orleans Saints.
Clamoring for supporters on a lighter note, Sirianni is hoping these three NFL coaches who were once part of his staff would support his course, as they’ve all benefited from the tush push tactic.
While the Green Bay Packers were the architects of this proposition, they will be needing at least 24 of 32 teams to agree with the rule change in order to ban the Eagles’ infamous play. The proposal is set to “prohibit an offensive player from pushing a teammate who was lined up directly behind the snapper and receives the snap, immediately at the snap”.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
