Andy Reid has highlighted the officiating controversy surrounding the potential missed calls on the “Tush Push” play. Jason Dunn highlighted referee oversights in the Chiefs’ first two 2025 losses, especially on the Eagles’ “tush push.” He claims false starts and early movement by Eagles linemen went uncalled. 

“You’ve got to go and scrunch almost like they do when they do that at 4th of one, and they try to go and do the whole uh illegal tush push, because it was illegal, because they jumped outside a couple times, and that’s something they need to be looking at. They need to be looking at that more than what they do. I look, I don’t want them to get rid of me. I am one of those hey, keep the tush push in,” the former TE said.  

NFL media have similarly questioned whether officials missed false start or illegal shift violations during those short-yardage goal-line plunges. In Week 2, the Eagles beat the Chiefs 20-17. The “tush push” factor played a decisive role. Critics saw two guards move into the neutral zone before the snap, a clear false start. Replays showed possible violations. But officials did not flag them. Tom Brady noted Eagles guards Landon Dickerson and Tyler Steen moved early, easing the play.

On their tush-push, the Eagles committed uncalled false starts before Jalen Hurts scored a late fourth-quarter touchdown. Reportedly, the slow-motion replays reflect the infractions. Officials either missed the movement in real time or ruled it legal. “Learn how to stop it. But one thing you have to be able to do if you’re a referee is know when a player jumps before the center snaps to the quarterback in football. That’s your job. And they failed us twice,” Dunn added. 

The Eagles ran the tush push seven times, converted five, and gained another after a Chiefs penalty. Given that this was a highly anticipated Super Bowl rematch, the scrutiny around the play was magnified more than ever. The NFL rules classify a false start as pre-snap movement by an offensive player. An illegal shift involves players shifting without resetting. The difference matters as a false start is a dead-ball foul, stopping the play. An illegal shift is a live-ball foul, which can allow a benefit or punishment depending on what happens.

Eagles’ Perfection Push Meets Chiefs’ Frustration in Renewed Officiating Debate

Viral clips of reactions from fans and Andy Reid showed Eagles linemen moving early, but Nick Sirianni argued that slow-motion made it unclear to officials. Philadelphia’s staff defended the execution of the formation, pointing to the challenges of identifying infractions in real time.

“I think that the one clip I saw of it was slowed down so much that I’m not sure you can see it with the naked eye. We have to understand that we have to be perfect on that play. And we’ll keep working on being perfect on that play. We know we have to be perfect in that setting, and we’ll work to get even better at the play and better with our timing. And I do not doubt that we have the right guys to be able to do it, and we will,” Nick Sirianni said.

Asked about the allegations, Sirianni admitted early movement was possible but stressed the challenge of officiating the play. Sirianni also highlighted that referees face split-second decisions and that slowing footage can exaggerate what appears to be infractions. Still, he acknowledged the importance of precision.

On the Kansas City sideline, the discussion took a sharper tone. The defensive front saw clear movement for a stoppage and grew frustrated as missed calls shifted momentum. The Chiefs maintained that if players jumped early, the play should have been blown dead. “I think you know the answer to it. If guys are moving early, then you’ve got to call that. So they’ll go back and look at that and see what their evaluation is of it. It could be different than mine,” Andy Reid said.  

The “tush push” remains one of the NFL’s most polarizing tactics, nearly voted out by league owners in the offseason. With another spotlight performance against Kansas City, the debate is unlikely to fade anytime soon. The Eagles remain focused on keeping the play sharp, legal, and effective for their Rams matchup.

“You can’t get all the calls right. Just because we see it, sometimes the official’s 15, 20 feet away… sometimes you can miss those small things. We think he jumped multiple times. An official didn’t see it, so it wasn’t called. We gotta just go and play the next down,” TD Chris Jones added.

The Chiefs and Andy Reid began the season 0-2. The Week 1 loss also drew referee complaints, though details were less clear than in Week 2. Dunn argues referees should be more vigilant in recognizing pre-snap jumps. The debate extends beyond one game. Officials face scrutiny as the league faces pressure to review how the “tush push” is monitored in key moments.