Eagles' Jason Kelce has unexpected response to potential tush push ban
The Philadelphia Eagles have one play this season that has caught everyone's attention. While they have perfected it, other teams have struggled. And now NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has joined the conversation, calling for the "tush push" to be banned. Eagles center Jason Kelce plays a vital part in this viral play, but he has a […]
The Philadelphia Eagles have one play this season that has caught everyone's attention. While they have perfected it, other teams have struggled.
And now NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has joined the conversation, calling for the "tush push" to be banned.
Eagles center Jason Kelce plays a vital part in this viral play, but he has a clear message to Goodell and the rest of the world about this potential ban.
"Ban it. I really, at this point, I don't even care. I'm over the discussion about it," Kelce said during this week's episode of the New Heights podcast. "We were really good at running quarterback sneaks before the push. I don't think that it's a necessary part for it. It certainly helps. There's no doubt about it. But I just don't have the energy to care whether it gets banned or not."
"We're going to run it right now because we're good at it and it's effective," Kelce added. "Whatever they do next season, we'll figure out a way to do something at a high level and make it effective."
The play has also become known as the “Brotherly Shove”, and while Kelce is so over the continued controversy and discussion about the play, he also pushed back at some of the reasons being given to ban it.
"I don't think it's for a health reason," Kelce said, "I don't think a lot of guys get injured on it so I don't think that's a good reason. If it's for an unfair advantage, we've already seen other teams do it at not as good of a success level, so I don't know if it's that big of an advantage. I think that a lot of it is going to get banned because quite frankly, a lot of coaches, and defensive coaches in particular, don't want to have to defend it and it's a high percentage chance that'll work, so they've complained enough that now people want to see it gone.
The Eagles are on a path for a successful playoff run and are serious Super Bowl contenders. Even without the "tush push" Kelce knows that the team has a lot of other tricks up their sleeve.
So he's done worrying about any potential decision.
"I don't think it makes sense to really worry about it. It used to be illegal to push the runner and they changed the rules. So I don't think it… I mean they can push on defense. Yeah, I don't know. I got nothing."
"Whatever they want to do," Kelce said. "I get both sides of it… Not going to bother me."
