Getty Former Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz in 2013.
The NFL’s competition committee is meddling once again, and a former Kansas City Chiefs player isn’t happy about it.
“The NFL is expected to look into banning the ‘tush-push’ QB sneak method this off-season, per FOX NFL Rules Analyst Dean Blandino,” Eagles Nation relayed on Twitter, quoting Blandino: “The NFL wants to showcase the athleticism and skill of our athletes. This is just not a skillful play. It’s not an aesthetically pleasing play.”
The comments were first published during a Paul Domowitch article with 33rd Team, and ex-Chiefs offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz had a strong reaction to this rumor. “I think it’s aesthetically pleasing to see an offensive line move the line of scrimmage multiple yards,” he voiced. “This is a lame justification for banning this.”
Schwartz’s February 17 statement ended up going viral on social media, with over 5,000 likes and 700,000 views at the time this article was written.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts Capitalized on ‘Tush-Push’ Play-Call During Super Bowl LVII
This play-call had relevance during the 2023 Super Bowl, as Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was pushed forward from the one-yard line for a touchdown. That wasn’t the only time Philly utilized this rugby style sneak, however.
Domowitch detailed the Eagles usage of this play during the big game versus the Chiefs: “Hurts had 10 rushing first downs in Sunday’s 38-35 Super Bowl LVII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Six of them came on quarterback sneaks. On each one of them, the Eagles lined up two or three players behind Hurts and then they pushed him forward after the ball was snapped. Hurts converted an impressive 36 of 40 quarterback sneaks this season.”
He continued, explaining that “pushing a ball carrier to help move him forward has been legal in the NFL since 2005 and in the college game since 2013.”
The Eagles took this approach to new levels in 2022 though, and now the league’s leadership council appears to have taken notice. “I think the league is going to look at this, and I’d be shocked if they don’t make a change,” Blandino told Domowitch.
Quotes from respected head coach and new Denver Broncos hire Sean Payton didn’t help.
“I was talking to Sean Payton during Sunday’s game, and he said we’re going to do this every time next season if they don’t take it out,” Blandino relayed. “It amounts to a rugby scrum.”
Ex-Chiefs OL Geoff Schwartz Admits Rule Will Probably Get Altered
Although Kansas City was on the wrong side of this rule during the Super Bowl, Schwartz and many fans still believe that the NFL should stay out of it. “If you want to argue the play is too easy to convert or it’s a player safety issue (can’t imagine this feels good on the body) then I’m open for that discussion,” the retired O-lineman admitted. “But [saying that] it’s not a skillful play is bull.”
Fans and analysts chimed in too. Michigan State reporter Justin Thind replied: “Nothing more aesthetically pleasing than your team’s big guys trying to impose their will on the other team’s big guys. That’s what football should be all about. Just devaluing strength & power with this BS justification.”
“[Colin] Cowherd today said ‘it wasn’t creative,'” a fan responded. “Okay? Why innovate something that works? It’s nonsense!”
One fan did “disagree,” adding that “it’s cool but when it happened 5 times in the super bowl you knew this was coming.”
Schwartz conceded that the play will most likely get banned “for the reasons I listed above,” rather than “whatever that quote said.” Continuing later: “This nonsense about the skill and being pleasing to the eye is crap.”