While most coaches favor banning the Tush Push, an influential minority of the coaching fraternity is skeptical of its elimination from the NFL.
The Philadelphia Eagles are the most adept at executing the play. As simple as it looks, the Eagles have what seems like a Swiss Army Knife of an arsenal with it, and depending on the situation, they can run it in several variations.
They can push in whichever direction they feel they can take advantage of a defense’s front, and one coach in particular thinks that should be celebrated rather than punished.
What is Todd Bowles’ Position on the Tush Push?
One skeptic of its ban is Todd Bowles. It’s a bit of a surprise, but he has a ready explanation despite his background in building defenses.
CBS’s Jeff Sversky posted, “‘I’m a fan of creativity.’ Bucs coach Todd Bowles Does NOT Want the Eagles Tush Push Pushed Out of the NFL. ‘If somebody crafts something & they do it well & it’s within the rules, it’s up to the other side of the ball to stop them… They have something they do very well… If everyone else could do it, everybody would be doing it. It’s a challenge for all the defensive coaches to try to stop it, and that be me included.’”
This is not the first time Bowles has voiced his opposition to banning the play. In a story published by Athlon Sports in May 2025, Bowles said, “The safety of it’s always going to be a question because it’s a rugby style of play, but I have nothing against it.”
It’s not exactly a shocking revelation, but it’s a refreshing one. Most criticism of the Tush Push revolves around claiming it’s not a football play. It’s been derisively described as a rugby play, even though football’s roots are closely intertwined with it, as Bowles alludes to.
However, not everyone within the Buccaneers organization agrees with Bowles, including the Glazer family, which owns the team. When the league voted on the ban, the Bucs were one of the teams that voted in favor of it.
Some of Bowles’ sentiment comes from his relative success against the Eagles and their special play since the Bucs could stop it on a two-point play in the playoffs in 2024 .
For the most part, the Eagles have dominated the opposition with it. However, while the play has not been banned, the league is trying to tighten its enforcement of the play regarding the Eagles, apparently getting away with false starts.
In the Eagles’ Week 2 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs and their Week 3 tilt with the Los Angeles Rams, it’s been pretty clear they have been getting away with some mischief.
So, while defensive coordinators might need to step up their game, it’s hard to beat a play when the offense can just jump the snap.