Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell has urged the NFL to not ban the tush push after stressing that it’s up to other teams to work out how to stop the controversial Philadelphia Eagles play.
Ahead of their game against the Eagles on Sunday, Campbell said he wants the league to ‘leave the game alone’ despite calls to outlaw the tush push – which involves the quarterback being pushed forward through the defensive line.
Philadelphia has mastered the unsightly play in recent years, using it frequently on their run to Super Bowl glory last season, which has been a major point of contention given how difficult it is to stop.
Referees have also been criticized all season long for failing to recognize when the offensive line jumps offside too early when trying to implement it.
Yet amid protests against the tush push, Campbell said when previewing their showdown with the Super Bowl champions: ‘I’m a purist. You take something else out of the game, then we’re taking the next thing out of the game, then we take another thing out of the game, and pretty soon we don’t have pads anymore. Then pretty soon it’s “we’re only playing 30 minutes.”
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has urged the NFL to not ban the tush push
The controversial Philadelphia Eagles play has sparked outrage in the sport in recent years
‘I don’t want to take it out of the game. It’s something a team’s got as a niche. They’ve found something, they’re good at it, and it’s for everybody else to stop. It’s unique and it’s physical and more than anything I just don’t want to take anything else out of the game.
‘I just want to leave the game alone. That’s me.’
NFL owners held a vote on the tush push earlier this year, which ended 22-10 in favor of keeping it. Detroit was one of the teams who voted against outlawing it.
Despite owners swatting aside a ban, football fans called for the tush push to be removed again after a pair of missed false starts on Monday Night Football.
In the game between the Eagles and the Green Bay Packers, both teams ran the play but did so by jumping early.
First, the Packers had both the linemen on the left side move early as quarterback Jordan Love was able to gain a first down in the first quarter.
Then, just a few minutes later, the Eagles managed to have their left and right guards jump early before the ball was snapped.
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles used the tush push on their way to Super Bowl glory last season
‘They’re 100% banning the tush push this offseason LMAO,’ wrote one user on X.
Another joked, ‘I have been radicalized by the woke left football mob and am ready to ban the tush push’.
‘I seriously hope NFL owners get together and ban the Tush Push period. It’s getting outrageous.’
NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweeted out videos of both incidents – calling them ’embarrassing’ and ‘pathetic’ and adding, ‘Not exactly a great start from the zebras’.
