September 15, 2025

The NFL still can't handle how good Jalen Hurts and the Eagles are at the Tush Push

Hurts and the Eagles ran the Tush Push several times again on Sunday. The Chiefs couldn't stop it, and the rest of the league still hates it.

By Nick Tricome
PhillyVoice Staff

Jay Biggerstaff/Imagn Images

Jalen Hurts before collecting another 1-yard first down.

The Eagles beat the Chiefs on Sunday, 20-17.

They ran the Tush Push, like they always do, to a near-perfect rate of success that only they can seem to achieve.

And the play, like it always does, became the subject of scorn and controversy across the rest of the NFL world the day after.

The league owners tried to ban the Tush Push in the offseason. They couldn't get the vote and failed, so it lives at least through this season, while continuing to frustrate whoever plays Jalen Hurts and the Eagles that respective week.

But now the argument is trying to shift again, it seems.

Before, it was injury concerns. Opposers to the push wanted to claim that the play was too dangerous, but never had the data strong enough to prove it.

Now? Officials apparently can't be bothered to deal with it anymore.

Dean Blandino, the NFL's former vice president of officiating and FOX Sports' current rules analyst, said late into the game's broadcast on Sunday that "I am done with the Tush Push, guys. It's a hard play to officiate," after the Eagles ran it to ice their victory. Somewhat curiously, that clip was captured and uploaded to FOX's social media channels:

"I am done with the tush push guys. It's a hard play to officiate." - @DeanBlandino pic.twitter.com/Qcg2jtx2I2
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 14, 2025

At the same time, debate and criticism were rampant throughout social media during the game about the play's legality and all the penalties that resulted from it, and yet were missed.

The upload of a clip to the NFL's subreddit, for example, was made to highlight how many Eagles offensive linemen had committed a false start before the snap:

That same thought came up elsewhere, too:

4 of the 7 tush push attempts from the Eagles win over the Chiefs included early guard movement

you be the judge. None were flagged - officials need to figure this play out https://t.co/Cn3ekutLvP pic.twitter.com/Q1ft4l1B4U
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) September 15, 2025

Even from veteran Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones postgame:

Chris Jones on whether the Eagles offensive line moved early on tush-push plays:

"We think he jumped multiple times. An official didn't see it so it wasn't called" #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/NmAhchoojE
— Noah Sacco (@NoahSaccoTV) September 15, 2025

The counter-argument to that, however, using the still from the Reddit clip just before the snap:

🤷 pic.twitter.com/gVdee9m513
— Nick Tricome (@itssnick) September 15, 2025

Quite a few Kansas City facemasks and hands in the neutral zone, isn't it?

Even so, the new can of worms regarding the Tush Push might have been opened.

Monday morning on ESPN's "Get Up," the network's NFL insider Adam Schefter wanted to argue that Sunday's result in Kansas City was decided way back in March, when the Tush Push ban vote failed:

"This game was lost in March. This game was lost when the NFL owners refused to ban the tush push from happening. It wasn't lost yesterday."

—@AdamSchefter on Eagles-Chiefs pic.twitter.com/rl60G5Pa6n
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) September 15, 2025

Andrew Mukuba's first career pick on a bobbled pass to Travis Kelce, a huge fourth-down stop by the Eagles in Kansas City's own territory, and a Harrison Butker miss while Jake Elliott returned back to being automatic probably had a lot more to do with it, but Schefter wasn't necessarily alone in his thinking among the national media.

Former cornerback Devin McCourty fell back on "aesthetics" and the Tush Push not looking like a "football play" while speaking on Kay Adams' show:

Devin McCourty says the latest “Tush Push” controversy is another example of why the Eagles QB sneak should be banned after this season.@heykayadams | @devinmccourty pic.twitter.com/wEfmbDCTkL
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) September 15, 2025

And longtime personality Dan Patrick touched on the officiating angle, and how the refs' perceived difficulty with properly calling it might be the NFL's new in toward actually getting it banned next time:

Is the Tush Push impossible to officiate? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/HwfkzkGmxM
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) September 15, 2025

But the counter-argument to that: Well, if the Tush Push is impossible for NFL refs to officiate, wouldn't that come off as an admission that NFL refs can't officiate NFL football more than aynthing?

Eagles fans, brace yourselves for 16 more weeks, and then some, of this.

In the meantime, here's this great soundbite from Hurts as he was kneeling out the clock to Jones:

Chiefs DT Chris Jones and Jalen Hurts had this exchange as the Eagles were kneeling out the clock. pic.twitter.com/1osbwest2G
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 15, 2025

Hey, the Eagles never had to make it pretty.

MORE: How the Commish Stole the Tush Push – A Children's Book

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