Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has been vocal in his opposition to the proposed ban of the “tush push,” a quarterback sneak tactic that has become a staple of the Eagles’ offense. The proposed rule change, submitted last month by the Green Bay Packers, suggests that the play provides an unfair advantage and lacks skill, despite the fact that any team in the league is free to use it.
Sirianni, never one to shy away from defending his team, strongly disagrees with the notion that the tush push is an automatic or gimmicky play. He argues that the success of the play is the result of rigorous preparation and execution by his players, not a built-in loophole that guarantees yardage.
“We work hard at that thing,” Sirianni emphasized. “And it’s ‘automatic’ because of the work that’s put in and because of the players that we have who are performing it. It’s not automatic throughout the entire league.”
Sirianni further expressed his frustration during an appearance on Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take podcast, which aired Monday morning. To make his point, he drew an apt analogy to the NBA, comparing the proposed tush push ban to limiting one of basketball’s greatest shooters.
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“Okay, well Steph Curry shouldn’t be allowed to shoot threes. Only in the fourth quarter can Steph Curry shoot threes. Like, what are we talking about? You can’t just make a rule up because it’s benefiting one team and everywhere else it’s not quite as good.”
Sirianni’s argument highlights a key flaw in the Packers’ proposal: just because one team executes a play better than others doesn’t mean it should be banned.
The Eagles have perfected the tush push thanks to their dominant offensive line, quarterback Jalen Hurts’ lower-body strength, and relentless practice. If it were truly an unfair advantage, why hasn’t every other team in the NFL mastered it to the same degree?
His comments have sparked further debate among football analysts and fans. Some agree that banning a play simply because one team executes it better is unfair, while others argue that the play fundamentally alters the nature of short-yardage situations, making defensive stops nearly impossible.
Ultimately, the fate of the tush push will be decided by league officials, but Sirianni’s stance is clear: the Eagles have worked hard to make the play nearly unstoppable, and they shouldn’t be penalized for their success.
If other teams struggle to stop it, the solution isn’t a rule change—it’s better defensive execution.
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