“If it’s a competitive conversation, the Eagles just coach it better than the rest of us. So I don’t want to take away a competitive advantage from the team that figured out how to have the quarterback sneak [be] so effective,” said Panthers HC Dave Canales about the Tush Push debate. The Eagles’ infamous play has taken up more conversation this offseason than the actual time they spent running it in-season. When the league’s 32 owners met during the first week of April, the now-iconic play was a major agenda point. According to ESPN, the vote ended in a perfect split -16 teams for the ban, 16 against. But, the league has yet to reach a decision. As per reports, the decision will come on May 25.

So, as some teams circle back to the idea of banning the Tush Push, a former NFL legend isn’t buying the fuss. Enter Ross Tucker, who, in his recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, dropped some interesting insights into the Philly-mastered play. Ross believes that even if the league rewinds the rulebook to its pre-2005 days, “it will still probably look very similar.” The main reason some teams have been pushing to ban Philly’s mastered play is the health and safety of the players.

For the safety part of it, Tucker believes that banning it won’t make any difference, since whether it’s the Tush Push or any normal QB sneak, players on both sides are still crouched low and pushing hard. That’s just how these plays work. “First of all, the health and safety aspect of it, that is the posture and the mechanism in which the o-line and d-line are in their stance. Even if you take away the Tush Push, that’s welcome. That’s every quarterback.” So, it’s not like the players won’t face the same risk after a Tush Push ban.

And then another reason is that many think this play ‘does not look like football’. On that, the former OL thinks that “the league cannot effectively write a rule that changes that either. Because teams will still find legal ways to make it look similar.“

The former NFLer then added, “It’s gonna be worse… from a health and safety standpoint.” Because then the linemen would look for other ways to help the QB. Like hitting the defenders who are tackling him. And that would lead to more dangerous hits, like rib or kidney shots. So, Ross Tucker’s overall verdict says that the ban on Tush Push won’t solve anything.

And while Ross Tucker is calling out the logic behind the ban. One of Jalen Hurts’ teammates isn’t holding back either.

Brandon Graham stands tall for the Tush Push

The Eagles are so done with all the questions on the Tush Push. “Soft,” Eagles DE Brandon Graham replied when he was asked about the Tush Push ban. The 37-year-old recently dropped by Kelce Brothers’ New Heights podcast. And, of course, a question on the latest Tush Push debate was on the cue card for the Super Bowl champion.

“As someone who has defended QB sneaks, what’s your opinion on banning the Tush Push?” asked Jason. Brandon puts it bluntly: People need to drop this now. “‘We can’t stop it.’ It’s like, no. If everybody could do it like we do, you got to have the personnel for it first. Then you got to work the technique and practice like we do. We just got a good thing that we got going… ain’t nobody got hurt on it.“

It’s no secret that teams have tried the Brotherly Shove. Most of them have, but they couldn’t master it like Philly. So now, it’s like they are trying to outlaw it because they can’t do it. Graham, on the podcast, says that Tush Push is a tough play, but that’s just football. The DE jokes that after the play, you might come out of the pile like, ‘Dang, I gotta catch my breath before the next one,’ but that’s part of the grind. “It’s big grown men up front that you gotta push. And if I’m not strong enough, it won’t happen, but we got a stronger line. And I’m sorry, it’s a little soft in my opinion,” added Brandon.

Well, Brandon Graham isn’t apologizing for being good at something others can’t figure out. And as for the Tush Push, there’s still a month to go before we find out what the league decides.