Arizona Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon receives a friendly warning from his former boss regarding the fate of the tush push
Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon is one of now three head coaches derived from the Nick Sirianni coaching tree. He'll be counted on by his former boss to help continue the life of the "Tush Push."Sirianni is hoping that the NFL does not ban the play made famous thanks to his Philadelphia Eagles. A vote […]
Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon is one of now three head coaches derived from the Nick Sirianni coaching tree. He'll be counted on by his former boss to help continue the life of the "Tush Push."
Sirianni is hoping that the NFL does not ban the play made famous thanks to his Philadelphia Eagles. A vote will be had at this week's Annual League Meeting to determine if the play will be banned or kept legal.
He's also expecting his former assistants, such as Gannon, vote to keep the play alive.
"We’ll see how it goes. All I will say about it is [Jonathan] Gannon, (Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane] Steichen and [New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen] Moore better vote for it," Sirianni told NFL Media's Mike Garafolo. "They are in the [head coach] position right now because of that play. So all three, I better have those three votes right there and the Eagles’ vote. I at least know we have four.”
The Green Bay Packers, the team that lost to the Eagles in the Wild Card Round of this year's playoffs, proposed the ban of an offensive player being immediately pushed from behind by a teammate upon receiving the snap. This would effectively ban what the "Tush Push" is all about.
Sirianna has every right to vote against the ban as the Eagles utilize the play the most in the league. Steichen and Moore are offensive-minded head coaches as former offensive coordinators in Philadelphia, so it would make sense for them to keep the play legal as their own teams could implement it.
Gannon, on the other hand, is a former defensive coordinator. The play has proven to be mighty difficult for defenses to stop as there isn't the same freedom for defensive players to receive teammate assistance like there is for offensive players. A ban would look to even the scales in that regard. No matter the case, Sirianni might not be pleased to see one of the members of his growing coaching tree vote against his best interest.
But it's not up to Gannon, or Sirianni for the matter. Team owners will make the call at the end of the day. If Arizona owner Michael Bidwill votes to kill the play, that's on him, not his head coach.
Hopeful that's communicated to Sirianni if the Cards vote against him.
