Eagles Tush Push: Bills coach, Howie Roseman in 'heated' argument about ban, report

PALM BEACH, Fla. − The NFL's annual meetings are just getting started, and already Eagles coach Nick Sirianni is lobbying his fellow coaching brethren to vote down the Green Bay Packers' proposal to ban the Tush Push.

The controversial play, which the Eagles and Buffalo Bills have used more than the other 30 teams combined, will come up for a vote Tuesday. Sirianni needs 9 of the 32 owners to vote against it in order to keep the Tush Push in play.

Ironically, one of the teams that might vote to ban it is the Bills. Head coach Sean McDermott, who often uses the play with quarterback Josh Allen, said Monday morning that he's concerned about player safety.

And ESPN reported that McDermott, the Rams' Sean McVay and Eagles general manager Howie Roseman got into a heated argument about it Sunday evening.

According to the ESPN report: "The league office staff presented the rules proposals during the football operations meeting Sunday afternoon, and two sources in the meeting described the back and forth as 'heated' regarding the proposal to 'prohibit an offensive player from pushing a teammate who was lined up directly behind the snapper and receives the snap, immediately at the snap.'

The story continued: "During the Sunday afternoon session, Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, assistant general manager Jon Ferrari and two head coaches on the competition committee, Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams and Sean McDermott of the Buffalo Bills, gathered in a hallway outside of the ballroom to have a private and animated side conversation about the Packers' proposal."

Roseman refused to comment about anything relating to the Tush Push during a session with reporters who cover the Eagles on Monday morning.

The Packers' proposal would ban the "immediate" pushing from behind of the player lined up directly under center. There could be some ambiguity because while the Eagles do have two players lined up behind QB Jalen Hurts on those short-yardage situations, the actual pushing often doesn't begin until after Hurts' legs start churning forward.

McDermott said that's different from the traditional QB sneak, which he is in favor of. The Eagles have also been doing that effectively before switching to the Tush Push three years ago.

"To me, (the ban) takes away the force," McDermott said. "Traditional quarterback sneaks have been around for a long time. I think that’s the context that’s important. And I think the pushing of it adds the force piece. I think that exponentially raises my concern. Again, I’m not a doctor. That’s just what I’m going off of."

But McDermott seems to miss the point when it comes to safety. A recent NFL study revealed that no injuries resulted from the Tush Push. And the Eagles contend that some teams want it banned because the Eagles are by far the most effective at it. Sirianni said last month he finds that "a little insulting."

Sirianni already has three supporters in his former assistants who are head coaches − Shane Steichen of the Indianapolis Colts, Jonathan Gannon of the Arizona Cardinals and Kellen Moore of the New Orleans Saints − who can persuade their respective owners to keep it.

Steichen, speaking Monday morning with the other AFC coaches, said he's a big proponent of the play that the Eagles have converted close to 90% of the time in short-yardage situations. The rest of the league converts about 72% of the time, according to ESPN research.

"I’m not in favor of taking it out. I think it’s good for the game," Steichen said. "I think what they do, obviously, they do it better than anyone."

Why is it so much more effective for the Eagles?

"I think it’s a combination of the offensive line and (Hurts)," Steichen said. "Obviously, (Hurts) squats 600 pounds, and you got (center) Cam Jurgens who fills in for (Jason) Kelce, who’s a really good player. And you got Landon Dickerson and (Mekhi) Becton (now with the Chargers) in there, two big old guys. And their center of gravity, and how low they get to push, it’s pretty impressive."

Now, it seems that the Eagles have to convince five other teams to vote the ban down.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh could be one of those. He used tight end Mark Andrews in those situations late last season, even in a game against the Eagles. But Harbaugh said he, too, wants to make sure the play is safe.

"We just want to hear more about how the doctors feel about it," Harbaugh said. "If there’s a potential for the wrong kind of injury, then we’ll have to think about that. If they feel like it’s safe, or can be made safe, then fine.

"If it’s safe, then it’s a football play, and we have no problem with it ... If they have it still in the game, we’ll still be doing it with Mark (Andrews). If they take out of the game, then we won't."

Until the vote, then, Sirianni has a lot of lobbying to do.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Read his coverage of the Eagles’ championship season in “Flying High,” a new hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at Fly.ChampsBook.com.