NFL's Debate Over Tush Push Rule Ignites Passionate Discussions

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00:00It seemed like everyone was arguing the most about the tush-push.

00:05Yeah, Scott, covering these meetings for 27 years off and on, I could tell you that

00:11talking to coaches that were there and front office people,

00:15I've not seen something so hotly discussed.

00:18And it was really interesting.

00:21So I'm going to give you the CliffsNotes version, but I can go back to the combine.

00:24So I was told by a high-ranking NFL official there was no momentum at all

00:29for even discussion over because it was player safety checked off.

00:33There was no increased risk.

00:34The league knew this based on their stats, their injury data.

00:39So there was no movement.

00:40But there was the thing that there were two arguments, right?

00:45One was player safety check.

00:46There was none of that.

00:48But the big thing, Scott, was this.

00:50Is it a football play, the push play that the Eagles run?

00:53And by the way, the Bills also run it, too, and a couple of other teams.

00:56But the question is, is it a football play?

01:01Because you're pushing the quarterbacks back, okay?

01:07For decades, it was an illegal play.

01:09Now, 20 years ago, for whatever reason, the NFL removed the language that would ban it.

01:15So the Eagles figured this out.

01:16Nick Sirianni was chief among them, the head coach.

01:18And they put it in.

01:19They became experts at it.

01:21What I find funny is they were not as successful last year.

01:25The other teams started to catch up with it a little bit.

01:28They were still dominant at it, but really good at it.

01:32And the other part about it, and let's call it like it is, because I could tell you from

01:35talking to coaches about it from other teams, there's a little bit of competitive jealousy.

01:40Yes, you can debate.

01:41And I think it's a fair discussion whether it's a legal play or not, whether it's a

01:46competitive advantage, but by a player in the back, which for decades you were not allowed

01:51to do.

01:52But the other part of it is, look at the Packers who complain about it, Scott.

01:56The Eagles took them out this year in the playoffs.

01:58They beat them in the first game in Brazil, okay?

02:01You got the Rams who haven't beaten the Eagles in a long time.

02:04The Eagles took them out in the playoffs.

02:06They dominated them in LA when they went there in the past two seasons.

02:10That's part of it.

02:11Let's call it like it is.

02:12They'll never admit that, obviously.

02:14But there's a belief around the league there's some competitive jealousy.

02:17I have no problem with people arguing whether it should be a legal play, because if you

02:22you're pushing a player in the back, defensive players can't do that.

02:24I get that.

02:25But the bottom line is you can blame the NFL.

02:27Why did they take the language out 20 years ago?

02:30That's ridiculous.

02:31So this has been a big thing for general managers, for head coaches, and owners.

02:38Now, what I find funny is, Scott, is Roger Goodell, who's kind of like Switzerland.

02:42He's always in the middle.

02:43He doesn't want to take sides.

02:45He started talking about this week.

02:48Clearly, there's a movement within the owners to ban this thing again.

02:52And by the way, that's why it's been tabled.

02:55It's been tabled until the May meetings.

02:58And Scott, look, half the league, they didn't take a vote on it.

03:02It's been tabled.

03:03But clearly, the word around the league is at least half the league will vote against it.

03:07And by the way, the Commanders are against it.

03:10The Cowboys are against it.

03:13And the Giants are against it, obviously.

03:16Because they play them.

03:18They play them and they lose to them.

03:20And let me tell you something.

03:22Here's the deal.

03:24I agree with everything you've said.

03:26The only thing that I think that, frankly, I have a problem with is,

03:29if you can shove from the offensive side, you should be able to shove from the defensive side.

03:34Secondly, here's the problem.

03:37If you're such a badass, why can't you stop it?

03:43No one can stop it.

03:44They're all a bunch of pansy ass.

03:46They get pushed around and they don't like it.

03:49And they can't stop it.

03:50If you can't stop it, you lose.

03:53It's no different than, you couldn't stop Michael Jordan, you lose.

03:57You know, it's funny on what you just said.

03:59Kevin Stefanski, the Browns head coach, has been on the record twice saying that

04:03it's a good play.

04:04We just have to stop it.

04:07John Harbaugh, who's been involved, who was one of the best special teams coaches

04:11for many years before he became the Ravens head coach,

04:14he went on record saying it's not a problem.

04:16I mean, we just have to stop it.

04:18So again, I think the competitive jealousy part, I think that's real.

04:22I don't think there's any question about it.

04:23You know, and in the end, Scott, it's going to be voted out.

04:27There's no question.

04:28When the commissioner goes on record, it questions whether it should be a play or not.

04:33This has got to be coming from the owners.

04:35He works on the behest of the owners.

04:37If it doesn't happen in May, it's going to happen at some point over the next couple

04:41of years.

04:41It's just the way it is, Scott.

04:43But it's amazing when a team is this dominant.

04:47Like, think of it this way, Scott.

04:48If the Raiders were the team that was successful with it, do you think anyone would care?

04:52No, of course not.

04:53Just the Eagles are an elite team, and that's part of it.

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