NFL Tension: Debate over the “Tush Push” and the Eagles’ Passionate Defense
A heated exchange occurred between team owners and NFL executives during the league meeting on Wednesday morning in Eagan, Minnesota. The central topic was the controversial “Tush Push”, an offensive play that has generated intense debate.
The discussion took place during a “general session,” which was attended by the owners, as well as the executives of the teams and the league.
Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie spearheaded the defense of the play with a passionate speech. Sources close to Lurie indicated that the owner had seen reports suggesting a possible ban on the “Tush Push,” leading him to believe that the play’s chances of survival were slim.
“He used all the resources,” commented a source close to Lurie. “He knew he needed to throw a Hail Mary.”
Source close to Jeffrey Lurie
At one point in his speech, which lasted about an hour, Lurie made an improvised analogy that generated controversy. According to the source, the owner of the Eagles stated that, regardless of whether the play was banned, it would be a “win-win” for the Eagles, comparing their success to a “wet dream for a teenager” for creating a play so effective that the only way to stop it was to ban it.
Lurie continued to argue that those who voted in favor of banning the play would assume responsibility for putting quarterbacks at risk. He criticized NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent for advocating the ban, adding that he had spoken extensively with NFL Chief Medical Officer Allen Sills about the play.
After Lurie’s intervention, Vincent reprimanded the Eagles’ owner for his comment about the “wet dream”, specifically for making it in front of the women present at the meeting.
John Ferrari, assistant to the Eagles’ general manager, and former Eagles star center and current analyst, Jason Kelce, also spoke. Kelce stated that he would return to the NFL if he could run 60 “Tush Pushes” per game.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones posed some questions, while Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula, a critic of the “Tush Push,” stated that his team was good at the play, but still supported its ban.
After an hour of debate, San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York asked Lurie “how much more s—” he needed to say.
There were a few scattered laughs, but the atmosphere remained tense and silent. Goodell then concluded the session to move on to a “privileged session”, attended by the owners and top executives of the league. The proposal for a ban ultimately failed, with a vote of 22-10, falling two votes short of the 24 needed to ban the play.
