Philadelphia, PA – June 18, 2025
The NFL spent an entire season trying to figure it out. Defenses threw their best fronts at it. Analysts dissected it frame by frame. Owners even tried to get it banned. But through it all, the Eagles’ signature play—the Tush Push—remains untouchable.
Once seen as a rugby-inspired oddity, the Tush Push has now become the most efficient and demoralizing short-yardage weapon in football. And according to new analytics shared by Pro Football Focus, no team runs it better—or more surgically—than Philadelphia. On 4th-and-1 plays in 2024, the Eagles converted a staggering 92 percent of their quarterback sneaks, with Jalen Hurts leading the charge behind an offensive line that behaves more like a battering ram than a front five.
"It’s not just brute force," one AFC defensive coordinator told PFF anonymously. "Philly disguises it, layers it, even adjusts the cadence to catch you off guard. They’ve turned it into an art form."
And the numbers back it up. PFF's deep-dive reveals that Philadelphia gains at least 1.3 yards per sneak attempt—an absurd figure in such a short-yardage context. For comparison, most NFL teams hover around 0.7 yards per attempt. The difference is not just scheme, but personnel: Jason Kelce may be gone, but Cam Jurgens has stepped in seamlessly, while Landon Dickerson and Jordan Mailata continue to bully defenders off the line.
Coach Nick Sirianni has fiercely defended the play amidst criticism from around the league. “If you don’t like it,” he said last year, “stop it.” So far, no one really has.
The league’s competition committee revisited proposals to restrict the play this offseason, but with little traction. It’s not illegal. It’s just brilliant football. And for the Eagles, it’s more than a play—it’s a mindset.
As Hurts himself put it: “When it’s fourth and inches, we know what’s coming. So do they. But good luck stopping it.”
Until someone does, the Tush Push isn’t going anywhere.
