There is a simple thing that we all know. Climbing onto the NFL throne is easier than staying on top of it. The Philadelphia Eagles lifted the Lombardi Trophy after thoroughly dominating this season. But as the champagne popped, and the confetti rained down, head coach Nick Sirianni was already looking towards the future, especially as the league faces pressure from rival teams to do away with the iconic play “tush push.”

With this spectacular win, Sirianni is now the second coach in the Eagles’ history to win a Super Bowl after Doug Pederson. But Sirianni knows success can lead to complacency if it’s left unchecked. As Jalen Hurts said, “It’s a matter of putting it together, it’s a matter of being consistent. It’s a matter of being in tune to the little details that win you games – and that lose you games too.”

Eagles insider Eliot Shorr-Parks shared a post on X that carries a valuable message for the team moving forward. Nick Sirianni said, “celebration of the Super Bowl is over – with leaders we have on this football team, if you aren’t giving it everything you got, you will be exposed”. Before you address the twitch you felt in your fingers just now, know this: Nick Sirianni is not a buzzkill, no sir! He knows firsthand what it takes to be the best. 

“You can’t be great without the greatness of others”—we’ve heard this motto from Sirianni one too many times, and the team resonates with it deeply. After a disappointing 2023 season, he rebuilt the Eagles’ culture around grit and teamwork. We have seen this transformation pay off in the grandest way possible. His leadership has helped foster a ‘dawg mentality’ within the team. Just look at them bouncing back from challenges one after the other and maintaining laser-focus under pressure.

Sirianni’s words have always inspired his men. Way back in 2021, Sirianni once showed the Eagles a picture of a flower in a team meeting. Flower? Yep, you heard right, a flower! He said, “The results aren’t there right now, but what’s going on here is that there’s growth under the soil”. Amazing analogy, right? The message is simple: keep growing and one day the world will see you flower.

While Sirianni works to keep his team sharp and focused on sustained success, another challenge looms on him off the field. The Eagles’ signature short-yardage play – the Tush Push – is under fire once again, with Matt LaFleur and other NFL coaches pushing for its ban.

Matt LaFleur vs. the Tush Push

The Tush Push isn’t just any QB sneak – it’s a game-changer. With Jalen Hurts’ exceptional strength (a 600 pounds squat) and an offensive line led by Jason Kelce, the Eagles have turned this play into an unstoppable force. In the last three seasons, the Eagles and the Buffalo Bills have run 163 tush push plays combined. Talking about Hurts, he has run for 29 TDs in the last two seasons. Out of these, 22 have come from the 1-yard line with this move. You can see why the competition is fretting.

Matt LaFleur—Green Bay Packers‘ HC—didn’t hold back during recent NFL owners’ meetings. He called for the play to be outlawed, saying, “I don’t think it’s a great football play. It’s more of a rugby play. And then some of the injury concerns, we just want to kind of get out in front of that.” Additionally, Dallas Cowboys Co-owner Stephen Jones indicated Dallas will vote against the push. He desires ‘consistency’ in rule enforcement, justofying this by saying that linebackers cannot push defensive linemen when defending extra points.

Critics of LaFleur’s stance argue there’s no hard data supporting his claims of injury. They say banning the Tush Push would penalize teams like the Eagles for their innovation. New England Patriots’ head coach Mike Vrabel didn’t hold back to talk in favor of the Tush Push, “there’s a lot of plays that are hard to defend, and I don’t think that you can get rid of them every time that you have a tough time stopping it”, he further added if this is the case, then why not ban Lamar Jackson from running? That’s not all, among other supporters, Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans has also argued that it’s “tough to punish a team for being really good at something.” The debate goes on as the community waits for the NFL’s verdict.

Nick Sirianni himself has defended this play on countless occasions. Most recently, at the 2025 NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, Nick voiced his opinions on the matter. “I almost feel a little insulted because we work so hard at that play. – I can’t tell you how many times we practiced the snap. We practise the play because it’s not a play that’s easy to practice” Of course, the coach would defend his team, and one of the best plays they have at their disposal.

There’s a major update to all of this. Over the past two days, at the Annual League Meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, the Tush Push was a topic of major discussion. The League’s decision makers are now giving everyone more time to consider all circumstances, as per a report on the official NFL website. This debate will continue for a couple more months, at least till the next league meeting scheduled in mid-May.

As Matt LaFleur leads efforts to outlaw the Tush Push, if the ban does come to pass, Sirianni sees yet another challenge—and an opportunity. He can prove why he belongs among the coaching elites. Under his leadership, one thing is certain, the Eagles will not stop or get comfortable. They will keep pushing forward. As for the opposition, well, what can we say? Haters gonna hate.