One of the biggest talking points during the NFL Draft Combine week revolves around the ‘Tush Push’ play popularized by Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles. Many people around the league have questioned it, but Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel isn’t one of them.
Just like Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid, who shared his opinion about the ‘Tush Push’ on Tuesday, McDaniel let everyone know that he doesn’t have any problem with the play, especially if the reason they want to forbid is related to the Eagles’ ability to execute it.
“It’s tough because I have a hard time making things illegal because of success,” McDaniel told reporters at the NFL Combine on Tuesday, as quoted by NBC Los Angeles.
McDaniel made it clear that he understands the complaints as long as they’re related to player safety. On the other hand, the Dolphins coach won’t support the detractors if they’re opposed to it only because of the play’s rate of success.
“However, it’s a different thing if it’s a safety issue. For me and the game of football, when your job is to take 11 people, possess the ball, move it down the field to try to get in the end zone to score points, I think because it’s successful, I have a hard time that being the teeth of the argument to move on from it,” McDaniel added.
Bucs HC Todd Bowles shares McDaniel’s thoughts on the ‘Tush Push’
Another coach who shares Reid and McDaniel’s stance on the ‘Tush Push’ is Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, who believes that it’s up to the defense to stop the quarterback sneak instead of having the NFL prohibit certain plays.
“The safety of it is always going to be a question because it’s a rugby-style play, but I have nothing against it,” Bowles said on PFT Live. “You found guys that are being creative and found the niche and how to gain an edge in this league and that’s what we as coaches try to do on a daily basis. Now it’s up to defensive coaches to try to gain an edge to try to stop it. That’s the challenge of it every time someone brings something new whether it’s offense or defense. I’m all for it that way.”
Coaches who disagree with McDaniel and those in favor of the ‘Tush Push’
Unlike the aforementioned coaches, Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris shared his complete opposition to the ‘Tush Push’ play this week. “I thought it should have been illegal three years ago,” he said.
“The Tush Push play, I’ve never been a big fan. There’s just no other play in our game where you can absolutely get behind somebody and push them, pull them off, do anything … I never really understood it, why that was legal.”
Another coach who isn’t a fan of the play that worked so well for Hurts’ Eagles is Sean McDermott, with the Buffalo Bills HC showing his concern on the injuries it may cause.
“To me, there’s always been an injury risk with that play,” McDermott said Monday. “I’ve expressed that opinion for the last couple of years or so when it really started to come into play the way it’s been used, especially a year ago. I just feel like the health and safety of our players has to be at the top of our game, which is it.
“That play, to me, the way that the techniques are used with that play, have been potentially contrary to the health and safety of the players. Again, you have to go back in fairness to the injury data on the play. I just think the optics of it, I’m not in love with.”