Actual origin of Eagles’ divisive ‘Tush Push’ can be traced back to 2018 and one Vikings player

The Philadelphia Eagles have got the ‘Tush Push’ down to an exact science.

Nick Sirianni’s team have mastered the controversial play en route to Super Bowl LIX and made it an almost unstoppable weapon in their vast arsenal.

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It’s essentially a QB sneak primarily used on short-yardage situations to either gain a down or for quarterback Jalen Hurts to dive into the end zone.

Former Eagles center Jason Kelce first perfected the art of the ‘Brotherly Shove’, snapping the ball to Hurts who then drives forward with the ball in hand with the help of his offensive lineman pushing him from behind.

The divisive move has become synonymous with the Eagles over the past few seasons, but they weren’t the first team to come up with it.

The actual origins of the ‘Tush Push’ can be traced back to 2018 when Minnesota Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr suggested doing it while wearing an NFL Films wire.

Turning to two of his Minnesota teammates, Barr can be heard saying, “I just think you should put some big dude at quarterback and then another big dude behind him and just push him.

“Or two guys behind him and double push.”

Barr didn’t know it at the time but he’d just invented what would later become known as the ‘Tush Push’.

Two seasons later, then Indianapolis Colts offensive co-coordinator Sirianni recommended subbing in the team’s 238 lb backup QB Jacoby Brissett to run a sneak.

It occurred during the 2020 Week 10 clash between the Colts and Titans, and lo and behold, resulted in a TD for Brissett.

A year later, Sirianni was at the helm in Philly and decided to run the same play in the Week 5 matchup with the Panthers.

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Power-lifting extraordinaire Hurts converted a rushing score after receiving a push in the tush from tight end-turned-full back Jack Stoll.

Six weeks later, Hurts also received the ‘Brotherly Shove’ against the Saints.

By 2022, the Eagles had performed various versions of Barr’s vision — all with the same devastating success.

During that season, the Eagles successfully used the ‘Tush Push’ 25 times out of 27 attempts, a rate of 92.6 percent.

They made it all the way to Super Bowl LVII but were narrowly beaten by the Kansas City Chiefs, 38-35.

The percentage dropped in 2023 to 83.3 percent, but that’s likely because Philadelphia used it far more as they completed 35 out of 42 ‘Tush Push’ attempts.

“Every first down, it’s first-and-9. Knowing that if you get to fourth-and-1, shoot, a lot of faith in that play,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said in October 2023. “You’ve seen it across the league that people can’t do it like we can do it.”

Even with Kelce now retired, Hurts led all NFL quarterbacks with 14 rushing touchdowns during the regular season, as well as four rushing touchdowns in the postseason.

The Eagles rushed ten times on fourth-and-one during the regular season and converted on 90 percent of the attempts.

But Eagles coach Nick Sirianni says it’s not about the play, it’s about the players who run it.

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“You don’t run the play unless you have the guys to run the play,” Sirianni said.

“We’re successful at it because those guys know how to do it and make it work.

Now, the ‘Tush Push’ is Philly’s patented move, but it has become so difficult to stop that some have called for a blanket ban across the league.

Critics say it is not a legitimate football play and is more like something seen in rugby.

Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy is one of the many who aren’t fans of it.

“I am not a fan of this play,” Murphy said.

“There is no skill involved and it is almost an automatic first down on plays of a yard or less. The series of plays with the Commanders jumping offsides in the NFC Championship Game to try to stop the play was ridiculous.

“The referee even threatened to give the Eagles an automatic touchdown if the Commanders did not stop it.

“I would like to see the league prohibit pushing or aiding the runner (QB) on this play. There used to be a rule prohibiting this, but it is no longer enforced because I believe it was thought to be too hard for the officials to see.

“The play is bad for the game, and we should go back to prohibiting the push of the runner.”

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However, Sirianni noted that other teams have tried to do it, it’s just they can’t replicate the Eagles’ success, which is largely down to their starting offensive line having an average height of 6-foot-6 and a weight of 338 pounds.

“It’s always a topic for conversation: Should this play be banned? But the success we have is not replicated always throughout the entire league,” Sirianni said.

“We saw it last week with the game we’re studying, Kansas City against Buffalo, stopped them in a critical situation. I guess I’m lobbying to never change that rule because we’re successful at it, but we’re successful at it because of the guys we have up front.”

There have been rumours before that the league will look into banning the play — NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is reportedly not a fan — but until then the Eagles will continue to run it.

“The evolution of this quarterback sneak has been something to see,” said Barr, reflecting on his inadvertent invention.

The ‘Tush Push’ certainly has been a remarkable addition to the sport — for better or worse.

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