"Everyone tries it, we're just...": Saquon Barkley defends tush push ahead of NFL vote, sends blunt message to opposing teams

The Philadelphia Eagles' famed "tush push" — affectionately dubbed the "Brotherly Shove" by fans — has become one of the most debated plays in the NFL. As league owners prepare to revisit a potential ban during their upcoming meeting on May 20–21 in Minnesota, tensions are running high. But amid the noise, Eagles’ star running back Saquon Barkley has made one thing abundantly clear: the issue isn’t the play — it’s the inability to stop it.Saquon Barkley, who joined the Eagles in the offseason and has quickly embraced their unique identity, didn't mince words. “If you don’t like it, get better at stopping it,” he told ESPN at the Met Gala. “It’s not like a play that we only can do. Everybody does it. Everyone tries it. We’re just super successful at it.”His words echo the frustration many within the Eagles organization have voiced. Head coach Nick Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts, who’s been at the center of the play’s execution, have also defended it. Their message is simple: the play isn’t breaking the rules — it’s just breaking defenses.Despite being statistically minor — accounting for just 0.28% of total plays in the 2024 NFL season — the “tush push” has had an outsized impact. Under Hurts’ command, the Eagles have converted the play into 27 touchdowns and 92 first downs over the past three seasons. In their 2023 Super Bowl campaign alone, the play resulted in 11 touchdowns and 32 first downs. That kind of efficiency, critics argue, gives the Eagles an “unfair advantage,” especially in short-yardage and goal-line situations.However, not everyone is calling for its elimination. Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles is among those who believe the answer lies not in altering the rulebook, but in adapting defensive schemes. The consensus among proponents of the play is that football should be about adjusting and innovating — not complaining when another team does it better.The controversy stems largely from the Green Bay Packers’ proposal earlier this year to ban the play, citing player safety concerns. Yet, no clear data supports the idea that the “tush push” is more dangerous than any other short-yardage play. While the proposal was tabled during the annual league meeting in March due to heated discussions, it will return to the agenda this May. For the ban to pass, it needs 24 out of 32 team owners to vote in favor.But Barkley isn’t buying the narrative that it’s about safety. For him, it’s about dominance. “They were super successful at it before I was there. I know what it does to a team, how it breaks down a team,” he said. “And now being on the team, you’re lining up and everyone knows what you’re doing and it’s like, ‘Stop me.’ And they can’t, so they’re gonna get in their feels about it.”As the league braces for the upcoming vote, the outcome will reveal whether innovation and physical dominance still hold sway in the modern NFL — or whether success itself is being penalized.Also Read: Tom Brady’s text to Shedeur Sanders amid NFL Draft chaos is everything you’d expect from a champion