July 10, 2025

Eagles RT Lane Johnson: Tush Push is 'our rugby scrum.'

Despite his own teammate's argument against it, Lane Johnson says Tush Push is Birds' version of a rugby play.

By Geoff Mosher
PhillyVoice Staff

Stephen Lew/Imagn Images

The Eagles and Chiefs are meeting for the fifth time in five seasons.

The Eagles soundly defeated the rest of the NFL this offseason in the case of "Owners vs. Tush Push," as the league couldn't generate enough votes to ban Philadelphia's unique version of the QB sneak.

Every excuse from optics to player safety to competitive disadvantage was used to try to get the owners to band together and eradicate the play that's become a major part of the success of the Eagles since Jalen Hurts became quarterback, and what's helped the Eagles appear in two Super Bowls in the past three seasons, including a demolishing of the Chiefs dynasty in the latest one.

Opponents have also argued that the Tush Push – which isn't what the Eagles call the play – is a rugby-style play, and not a true football play, a point that Australian-born Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata, who actually played professional rugby Down Under, has adamantly countered many times on many platforms.

But in an appearance Wednesday on NFL Network's "Good Morning Football," Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson admitted that he thinks the Tush Push does share some commonalities with a rugby scrum, despite Mailata's past comments.

Asked to respond to comments from Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu, who was shown on a past "Good Morning Football" saying the Tush Push should be banned and calling it "pretty much a scrum in rugby," Johnson said the Tush Push "does favor a rugby scrum, but it's our rugby scrum, I guess."

.@KyleBrandt and @LaneJohnson65 obviously had to talk Tush Push😏 pic.twitter.com/lHmIfHDn10
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) July 9, 2025

Here's Johnson's entire quote from his appearance, which also covered his contract extension through 2027 and other topics about Johnson's pro and college career:

"It has become a weird play. I never thought it would have grown to this magnitude of what is has become. Listen, I think the guys who should have the votes are probably the center and both the guards and probably the d-tackles that are in the middle. It's something that when you do it consecutively ... I think the main thing they were worried about is player safety. It's something that I run, I don't think a lot about it going into each play. But yes, it does favor a rugby scrum, but it's our rugby scrum, I guess."

Luvu is known for trying to derail the Tush Push by leaping over the pile in attempt to avoid the O-line's forward momentum and barricade the QB behind the line of scrimmage, a maneuver he failed at pulling off on consecutive snaps in the NFC Championship, drawing offside penalties and also a warning from the officials.

When LB Frankie Luvu tried to disrupt the @Eagles tush push in the NFC Championship, officials warned the @Commanders that they may invoke the rarely used, but long-standing, @NFL Rule 12.3.2 on "Palpably Unfair Acts."

Learn more bout the rule: https://t.co/cxM5ZPtutG pic.twitter.com/KHS4ilHh1f
— NFL Football Operations (@NFLFootballOps) January 27, 2025