It wasn’t just a play—it was a ritual born from football’s toughest trenches. The “Tush Push” roots trace back to 2018, when Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr first suggested the tactic. But the Eagles perfected it under Nick Sirianni’s era. On every short-yardage down, they’d line up a wall of blockers behind their quarterback, pushing forward like an unstoppable freight train. Defenders braced for impact, knowing the surge was coming. “You know it’s coming, but good luck stopping it” became a viral warning after the game. This play quickly became Philly’s trademark. It wasn’t just the push—it was the engine powering it: a perfect blend of brute strength and trench-born precision. The battle was as much mental as physical, a relentless test of wills that few dared to face head-on.
The Tush Push may have made the Eagles unstoppable in short yardage, but for Jason Kelce, it became a double-edged legacy. In this modern version of trench warfare, Kelce was the human ram—buried low, driving forward with Jalen Hurts riding the surge behind him. Together, they turned fourth-and-one into a near-automatic win. Lane Johnson dubbed Kelce “a human wedge” in a locker room interview. The duo powered the play in marquee moments—Week 6 vs. the Cowboys in 2022. Hurts just had to follow the surge. But the price of dominance was steep. On the New Heights podcast, Kelce admitted, “I stopped playing because of the Tush Push… I got hurt on the Tush Push frequently.” What once symbolized Philly’s edge became a bruisingu gamble—one that helped push a legendary center into retirement.
But before this move could be reversed, the damage was already done. It had invited the wrath of NFL mogul Jerry Jones.
The showdown started with a smirk and a podium mic. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, never one to shy away from flair, found himself caught in a now-viral moment. Jori Epstein posted the clip with a perfectly timed caption, “Which did he land on?” as Jones chuckled through the chaos of modern football rulebooks. “And here we are, the world champion, is the main focus of the tush push,” he declared, half proud, half appalled—like a man watching his neighbor’s kid win the science fair by setting the garage on fire. When pressed on where he really stood, Jeryy Jones didn’t miss a beat. “Well, am I really against the tush push or just don’t want Philadelphia?” The punchline came with a grin: “I don’t know.”
Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones said that in tush push debate, he had to ask himself whether he’s really against the play or he just wants to stop the Eagles.
Which did he land on?
“I don’t know,” Jerry laughed. “I flip flop.” pic.twitter.com/9lQkcjBQus
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) May 21, 2025
And now, it’s too late. The Tush Push isn’t just a play—it’s a meme, a meme with real-world consequences. Defensive coordinators are pulling their hair out. Philly did something no one else could think about. Maybe that’s why it stings. But now other players in the franchise have taken notice, and they want this out of the playbook. There’s talk of a league-wide ban. Whether in the spirit of fair play or pettiness, only they can comment.
The Packers’ failed crusade against the Tush Push
The Packers didn’t just propose banning the Tush Push—they practically filed a restraining order. They tried to sneak in a league-wide ban on the Eagles’ infamous short-yardage move, cleverly disguising it as a universal rule change. They even tweaked their original proposal ahead of the spring meetings, hoping this time they’d have better luck. Spoiler: they didn’t. Despite all that shade, they couldn’t rally enough support—24 out of 32 teams needed to back it, and that number wasn’t even close. Why? Because Jason Kelce stood up, spoke out, and nuked the conversation with one of the most passionate pleas in recent owners meeting history.
On New Heights, Jason Kelce spoke into the mic and ears of his fans, saying, “I’ll come out of retirement today if I only have to do 80 Tush Pushes.” With brother Travis laughing, he added, “It’d be the easiest job in the world.” Kelce, the man behind the play, showed that despite its toughness, the Tush Push just made him a legend.
Naturally, that drew heat from teams who didn’t have a quarterback shaped like a fire hydrant or a center named Jason Kelce anchoring the line. Per ESPN, the Eagles and Bills have Tush Pushed more times in the past three seasons than the rest of the league combined, converting at a staggering 87% rate. The league average? A peasant-like 71%. And yet, even defenders of the play point out that the push isn’t always the reason. “Teams are gonna get the sneak regardless of the push,” said one source involved in the debate. “Even when you watch the play, sometimes the pusher doesn’t even get to make contact with Hurts.” Translation: you’re mad because it works.
But here’s the twist—Jason Kelce, the patron saint of the Tush Push, has withdrawn his univocal support for the move. On his podcast New Heights, Kelce declared, “I am going to Minnesota,” hinting at his participation in NFL meetings and, more dramatically, his shift toward banning the very move that defined his final years. The reason? Injuries. He now calls it a career-altering hazard. From “human wedge” to unlikely crusader, Kelce’s arc might just be the NFL’s best plotline.
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