INDIANAPOLIS — Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst supports the bid to end the rugby-style QB sneak made popular by the Philadelphia Eagles, commonly referred to as the Tush Push.
The Packers were outed as the team who made the proposed rules change for consideration by the NFL’s Competition Committee.
“We’re not very successful against it, I know that,” Gutekunst said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “To be honest with you, I haven’t put much thought into it. It’s been around for a while, we’ve used it in different fashions with our tight end, so again, I think there will be a lot of discussions about it. I’ve got to look at some of the information as far as injury rates, things like that, to see. But we’ll see.”
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said you can count Atlanta as one of the other anti-tush push votes needed for the rule to take effect. At least 24 teams would need to support the resolution.
“I thought it should’ve been illegal three years ago,” Morris said. “The Tush Push play, I’ve just never been a big fan. There’s just no other play in our game where you can absolutely get behind somebody and push them, pull them off. I never really understood why that was legal. I’ll definitely be one of those guys voting against it.”
More than half of Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts’ 55 career regular-season rushing touchdowns reached the end zone from the tight, rugby-like formation with running backs angled near Hurts to help shove him over the goal line at the snap. Last season, the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens ran variations of the same play.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said he doesn’t view the play as more dangerous than common or traditional short-yardage plays.
“I almost feel a little insulted because we’ve worked so hard on that play,” he said.
NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent, who spent part of his career with the Eagles, confirmed the proposal was made.
“The club proposal is, ‘We need to make some adjustments to that. Is that a viable football play?'” Vincent said.
–Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media
