The Philadelphia Eagles developed a strong reputation for running a consistently successful quarterback sneak, with the play dubbed the “tush push” among fans and media.
Former Eagles center Jason Kelce played a key role in successfully running the play prior to his retirement, and it continued beyond Kelce’s playing days.
After the Eagles won the Super Bowl during the 2024 NFL season, the play faced a potential ban. Instead of making it go away, the NFL put an emphasis on how to officiate the play.
During Wednesday night’s season opener between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, the Seahawks were penalized for offside while running the play, and it became a controversial topic on social media shortly after.
Jason Kelce Gives His Thoughts On The Call
When NFL analyst Sam Monson released a shot of the two lines before the play, he noted that “nobody was offside.”
Kelce gave his thoughts on the call: “It’s tough to see on this angle, but all that it takes for an offensive player to be offside is for a body part to be in the neutral zone when the ball is snapped. The neutral zone is based off the ball, not the center’s alignment,” the former Eagle stated.
And when a fan went at Kelce with an old shot of the Eagles center getting ready to run the play and saying, “I know that’s not who I think it is,” the Eagles great clapped back.
“No one on offense is offside here,” Kelce responded. “In fact, a Miami Dolphins player is offside.”
The Eagles Will Continue To Run The Play
With the Patriots and the Seahawks both rolling out the play call on Wednesday, it’s evident the play isn’t going anywhere.
As for the Eagles, they didn’t find as much success with the play last season as they did in the past, but they aren’t moving away from it even with a new offense in place.
Earlier this summer, Eagles’ new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion made it clear that the team will “lean into” using the play. The Eagles will begin their season on Sunday, September 13, against the Washington Commanders.
Jason Kelce Comments On Controversial Call In Patriots-Seahawks Game