The Philadelphia Eagles' most famous and controversial short-yardage weapon might be heading for the scrap heap. Head coach Nick Sirianni has opened the door to moving on from the team's signature "tush push" play if it can't return to its once-unstoppable form.
A Play Losing Its Punch
While the NFL's competition committee decided not to ban the play this offseason, the Eagles' own execution problems might accomplish what rule-makers wouldn't. Philadelphia's conversion rate on the quarterback sneak, famously aided by a push from behind, plummeted to 63.6% in 2025. This marked a dramatic fall from the league-wide success rate of over 82% the play enjoyed from 2022 through 2024.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine, Sirianni was candid about the need for improvement or change. "We either have to get back to being able to be as dominant as we were at it or we find new avenues to be able to convert on third down or in the red zone," the coach stated. He framed the challenge as part of the fun of offseason planning, emphasizing the need to keep defenses guessing.
Strategic Evolution or Abandonment?
Sirianni acknowledged the tactical value the play once provided, creating opportunities for misdirection and deception within the offense. "You're doing that with your entire offense. 'Hey, here, this play is coming. Just kidding. We're running this play.' And that's what you're constantly trying to do to put seeds of doubt within the defense," he explained. However, he didn't shy away from the current reality: "It took a little bit of a step back, and we've got to coach it better. We've got to execute it better."
The decision now rests on whether the Eagles' coaching staff and players can refine their technique to restore the play's feared efficiency. If not, Philadelphia's offense will be tasked with developing new, creative solutions for those critical short-yardage and goal-line situations that defined their recent success.
Brown's Future Cast in Doubt
In other significant Eagles news, Sirianni also addressed the future of star wide receiver A.J. Brown, and his comments were far from a firm commitment. When asked about Brown's place on the team beyond the upcoming season, Sirianni's response was notably non-committal.
"Yeah, my expectation is he wants to be here. And obviously you want good players like that in your building," Sirianni said, via ESPN. "Does he want to be here? Yes. Do I want him to be here? Yes." But when pressed on whether Brown would definitely be on the roster in 2026, the coach offered a stark dose of NFL reality: "I can't guarantee how anything is going to play out into next season. I'm thinking I'm going to be the coach next season, but you can't guarantee anything past tomorrow."
An Offseason of Uncertainty
These twin storylines create an intriguing backdrop for the Eagles' offseason. The potential phasing out of the tush push represents a major strategic shift for an offense built around its reliability in key moments. Simultaneously, the uncertainty surrounding a cornerstone player like A.J. Brown hints at broader roster evaluations and financial considerations on the horizon.
With the tush push officially safe from a league ban, the Eagles now face an internal verdict. Will they dedicate themselves to perfecting the technique that made them infamous, or will Sirianni and his staff chart a new course entirely? One thing is clear: in Philadelphia, even the most reliable plays and players are subject to cold, hard evaluation when the results begin to slip.
