Rob Gronkowski & Julian Edelman Take Strong Stance as Eagles Await Tush Push Ban Verdict

Imagine a play that has been mastered so skillfully that the whole league is discussing the possible junctures to ban it. The Green Bay Packers were the first team to propose a ban on the Tush Push. But after the initial proposal was tabled for a vote in April, it ended in a stalemate. 16 voted in favor of the ban, while the other 16 were against it. But seems like the Packers have been relentless, even submitting a revised proposal merely hours ago. Meanwhile, as we contemplate the final decision, two Patriots legends have already shared their two cents on the matter. But before we get to that…

Notably, Tush Push was used in only 0.28% of plays last year, as per ESPN. So, why is the play—that probably hasn’t even appeared much in the grander scheme of things—being banned? To answer you in simple words, within the data presented to you, only the Philadelphia Eagles and the Buffalo Bills were the ones who ran the play more than anyone else. The two reportedly combined for 163 Tush Pushes in the last 3 seasons—more than the rest of the NFL combined. Perhaps the point of contention among adversaries is the sheer precision with which the “Brotherly Shove” was executed by the two teams. Why?

A staggering 87% of these attempts resulted in either a TD or a first down for the Eagles and the Bills. But what about others? Well, just successful in 71% of their attempts in comparison. So, while we can understand the animosity, is banning really the way to go? On the Dudes on Dudes podcast, Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman provided their verdict on the matter.

“I don’t like, fundamentally, we’re making a rule because people can’t stop it. I don’t like that,” the former wide receiver said, to which Gronkowski nodded in agreement and elaborated, “It’s the game of football. It’s called ‘You line up your best 11 guys versus our best 11 guys, and you got to stop us moving this football from one point to another point’. I like the tush push. They got to come up with ways to stop it.” This prompted Edelman to get into more detail about the matter, and talk about what could be the possible route other than banning it.

“I like it too. If everyone could run it, then everyone would run it. But we saw Buffalo Bills try to run it like three times in a row and get stuffed. It’s part of execution. They know how to execute the play. I don’t think they should ban the play because only one team knows how to run it right. I think the defenses need to get better.”

However, the fate of Tush Push will yet again lie in the hands of 32 NFL owners.

In the upcoming spring league meeting, the matter will again go up for a vote. This time, a verdict is expected to be reached, unlike on the previous occasion.

Tush Push drama set to enter its final arc

Since 2022, the Eagles have mastered the art of using Tush Push in short-yardage situations. 90% of their attempts have reportedly worked in their favor through modifying the typical QB sneak. Jalen Hurts getting pushed forward by his teammates has worked so perfectly that the Eagles made two trips to the Super Bowl in this period, winning one. However, the Packers’ president, Mark Murphy, was the first one to propose the idea of getting rid of this play. He called it “bad for the game,” while adding, “We should go back to prohibiting the push of the runner.” 

Well, this latest Packers proposal, where you can’t push or pull the runner, was originally in place until 2005. But some expert maneuvering by Nick Sirianni’s Eagles has made it a lethal weapon for them. Though Murphy has also blatantly called out the Eagles’ signature move, saying, “there is no skill involved” in this play. Clearly, they just haven’t been able to master it the way the Eagles have done it.

But the question is, will the Tush Push survive this second attempt to take it down? Well, only time will tell whether the Eagles’ trademark play will be snatched from them. Or will it prevail over the constant scrutiny it faces to this day. What do you think will happen?