Chiefs stars give their verdict on Eagles’ controversial ‘tush-push’ play ahead of Super Bowl

Chiefs stars give their verdict on Eagles’ controversial ‘tush-push’ play ahead of Super Bowl

Many NFL fans think that the ‘tush-push’ should be banned – but at least two Chiefs players don’t share that opinion.

The play, which the Eagles began using on short-yardage situations in 2022, sees players line up behind quarterback Jalen Hurts and try to push him past the first-down marker. And the move, which was converted over 88 percent of the time last season, has resulted in some extreme tactics from opposing players trying to stop it.

Nonetheless, Chiefs center Creed Humphrey has no problem with the strategy.

‘I have no thoughts on it really. It’s awesome,’ he said Tuesday. ‘They do a great job with it.

He continued, ‘I don’t think it should be banned… You got to be able to stop the play, I guess. It’s a legal play, so you gotta be able to stop it. Up to the defense to stop it. So they do a great job with it, and they’re really successful.’

Linebacker George Karlaftis will be on that defense trying to stop Hurts if and when the Eagles employ the play, and thinks the focus should be on not allowing the Eagles to get into short-yardage positions in the first place.

The Eagles have employed the 'tush-push' in short-yardage situations since 2022

The Eagles have employed the ‘tush-push’ in short-yardage situations since 2022

Chiefs LB George Karlaftis said Kansas City can't let Philadelphia get into short-yardage situations

Chiefs LB George Karlaftis said Kansas City can’t let Philadelphia get into short-yardage situations

Frankie Luvu (seen mid-air) encroached on two straight plays in an attempt to stop Eagles QB Jalen Hurts (1) from pushing forward for a touchdown in the NFC Championship

Frankie Luvu (seen mid-air) encroached on two straight plays in an attempt to stop Eagles QB Jalen Hurts (1) from pushing forward for a touchdown in the NFC Championship

‘The best way to stop it is not to get them in that situation,’ he said.

The Eagles’ NFC Championship win over the Commanders saw Washington go to drastic lengths – and test the rules of the game – as they tried to keep a Philly ‘tush push’ from crossing into the end zone.

With the ball on the one-yard line, Frankie Luvu was flagged for encroachment on two straight plays as he jumped over Philly’s offensive line.

Defensive lineman Jonathan Allen then earned a third straight encroachment penalty, and with referee Shawn Hochuli unable to move the ball any closer to the goal line, he warned he could invoke a little-known rule and actually give the Eagles points if the penalties continued.

Jalen Hurts bumbled into the end zone on the next play, and his teammates defended the legality of the play on Tuesday.

‘I think it’d be tough [to stop it], but it’s part of the game,’ linebacker Nolan Smith Jr. said. ‘It’s part of football. People do it on us, but they just not successful at it. And when people do it, it doesn’t look like the way we do it. And so people get upset that’s watching the game, but it’s part of the game.

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‘Especially like for a guy like me, I’m light, so you would think I wouldn’t want to be down in there. But I’ll bite some kneecaps off, especially when it comes to that.’

Smith called the notion of banning the play ‘completely out of proportion’ while his fellow linebacker Zack Baun shared the same sentiment.

‘I saw some stuff about that. I don’t think it should be controversial at all,’ he said. ‘It’s a football play, and it’s been stopped before. I don’t like when people say, i’s a guaranteed first down. Our team just so happens to be really good.’

To Baun’s point, Josh Allen and the Bills failed to convert a crucial ‘tush-push’ against the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, while the Eagles’ success rate on the play is believed to have slightly dipped this season, at 82.4 percent in the regular season.

Nonetheless, the Eagles will feel good about trotting out Hurts for the play on Sunday, if necessary.

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