Eagles Star Delivered Thoughts On NFL's Failed Ban Attempt

Newsweek

7 hours ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
For a brief moment, it seemed the Philadelphia Eagles' infamous "tush push" play was set to see its conclusion. As the Green Bay Packers led a group of teams who attempted to have the play removed from the NFL, it all went to a vote recently. It was close, but as Lane Johnson said, the play lives to see another day.
Johnson, a prominent player on the Eagles' offensive line, recently spoke about the play that has drawn a lot of praise and criticism for the Eagles.
"It's wild for a QB sneak—something that's been around for a long time—and if it was eliminated, it wasn't going to hurt just us," Johnson said on 'The Rich Eisen Show.'
"There are other teams. I feel like the Bills are really good at it, and there are teams that will eventually get good at it. It lives at least another year. It was very close, and it was something I thought may have been taken away, and it still might very shortly. As somebody that's involved in the play, I never thought this would grow into what it has become."
Lane Johnson (65) of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates with owner Jeffrey Lurie after Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Eagles defeated...
Lane Johnson (65) of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates with owner Jeffrey Lurie after Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Eagles defeated the Chiefs 40-22. MoreFans of the Eagles have embraced it, even calling it the "Brotherly Shove," as it's nearly become an automatic first-down in short third or fourth down situations.
Outside of Philadelphia, the play has generated a lot of complaints from fans, players, coaches, and owners, as there's been a consistent argument about the play not being a "football play." Some have also cited player safety as a concern, although concrete evidence of the play being dangerous to players' health has not been provided through arguments.
In Johnson's opinion, the players who are directly in the mix on both sides of the ball during the play would need to be the ones to speak up if they feel it is a true safety concern. Centers, guards, and nose tackles are typically facing a lot when the play goes down. And when it comes to the Eagles, they have a lot of size in that area, which is what makes the play so successful for Philadelphia, in the eyes of Johnson.
"I credit the size that we've had in the middle for these last few years," Johnson explained. "[Jordan] Mailata is really good at it. I'm OK at it, but it's really, we got a lot of heavy squatters."
According to Pro Football Focus, the Eagles have run the most quarterback sneaks in the NFL since 2021. The Buffalo Bills were next in line, with a difference of 39. While the Eagles have a high success rate of 83 percent on the play, the Bills had a slightly higher conversion rate at 84 percent.
It's not automatic, but teams have had a very difficult time preventing the Eagles from converting in critical short scenarios. While the fight against it was strong, it ultimately failed. Johnson doesn't seem confident the "tush push" is here to stay, but the Eagles will surely keep it near the top of their playbook as long as it's legal to run it.