There has been talk in NFL circles over the last two years about the possibility of the “Tush Push” — a quarterback sneak perfected by the Philadelphia Eagles — being banned for safety and/or competitive reasons.
Even Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton hinted during the offseason that the NFL might outlaw the play. Speaking at a league meeting earlier this month, however, NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said reports of the league planning to ban the play are false.
“Philly does it better than everyone else. That’s a fact,” Vincent said. “You won’t want to punish anyone for doing something well.”
So the play isn’t getting banned by the NFL — at least not anytime soon. Lower levels of football are a different story.
During the ManningCast of the Seahawks-Eagles game on Monday, former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning said a youth football league has banned his son’s team from running the “Tush Push” at the seventh-grade level.
“We were told after that play, the ref’s like, ‘Hey, you can’t do that,'” Manning said. “I’m like, ‘The Eagles do it in the NFL,’ he’s like, ‘This is not the NFL.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, I thought seventh grade AYL Colorado Youth Football was the NFL.’ I was confused, but that was the last time we did it. They banned it in our league.”
Manning coaches the seventh-grade Cherry Creek Bruins team that his son, Marshall, quarterbacks. He won’t get to call the “Tush Push” play for his son anymore, but Peyton clearly enjoys watching it in the NFL.