Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie gives his final word on the Tush Push ban debate
Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie spoke at the NFL league meetings this week in Palm Beach, Florida, where he gave his final and lasting word on the Tush Push ban controversy. “It's ironic that people would bring up health and safety,” Lurie said. “We're at the top of the game in terms of wanting health […]
Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie spoke at the NFL league meetings this week in Palm Beach, Florida, where he gave his final and lasting word on the Tush Push ban controversy.
“It's ironic that people would bring up health and safety,” Lurie said. “We're at the top of the game in terms of wanting health and safety on every play. We voted for hip-drop tackle and defenseless receiver. We will always, always support what is safer for the players. It's a no-brainer. If this is proven to be less safe for the players, we will be against the Tush Push. But until that's the case, to me, there'd be no reason to ban this play.”
Lurie's Eagles were supposed to know the fate of the Tush Push this week, but the league opted to table the voting and will discuss it again when the owners meet in May.
However, given the fact that there has been zero evidence found that the Tush Push has caused any harm or injuries, it certainly makes it difficult to prohibit or change how the play is run.
"We've been very open to whatever data exists on the Tush Push and there's just been no data that shows that it isn't a very, very safe play,” Lurie said. “If it weren't, we wouldn't be pushing the Tush Push. But I think, first of all, it's a precision play. It's very practiced. We devote a lot of resources to the Tush Push. We think we have an unusual use of personnel because we have a quarterback that can squat over 600 pounds and an offensive line that's filled with All-Pro players. That combination with incredible, detailed coaching with Coach (Jeff) Stoutland, has created a play we can be very successful at.
"There's other ways of gaining that half yard, that yard. There's quarterback sneaks, other types, but we've been very, very good at it.”
All 32 NFL teams have the freedom to run the Tush Push, but the Eagles have dominated the play in recent years, which has ultimately left many teams wanting it gone.
However, until player safety is a problem, Lurie is persistent that there is no reason for the play to go away.
“I don't ever remember a play being banned because a single team or a few teams were running it effectively,” Lurie said. “It's part of what I think I personally, and I think most of us love about football, is it's a chess match. Let the chess match play out.
"If for any reason it does get banned, we will try to be the very best at short yardage situations. We've got a lot of ideas there, but I think it's a credit to using our personnel in a way. There aren't that many teams that have 600-pound squat quarterbacks and that offensive line. Listen, if there were any injury concern, I would be concerned.”
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