The tush push has become one of the most controversial plays in the NFL due to its overwhelming effectiveness-so much so that some teams attempted to ban it at the recent owners’ meeting. However, Rob Gronkowski remains confident that the so-called brotherly shove isn’t going anywhere. In fact, he likened it to one of Tom Brady’s most iconic plays.
The tush push is a variation of the quarterback sneak in which the signal-caller doesn’t just slip between his offensive linemen-he also receives a powerful shove from behind to help him plow forward through defensive resistance. According to Richie Gray, who worked with the Eagles to refine the play, success depends on more than sheer force.
Gray explains that a flawless tush push requires three critical factors: an offensive line with traction and weight, a quarterback with ideal size and power, and two supporting players with perfect timing to propel their QB forward. Right now, the Eagles are the only team that meets all three conditions, and Gronkowski understands why they’ve dominated with it.
Jalen Hurts vs. Tom Brady: A sneak showdown?
At the recent owners’ meeting, several teams tried to outlaw the Eagles’ signature play, but their efforts fell short. Gronkowski welcomed the decision, declaring the controversial strategy “is here to stay.” The former Patriots tight end believes the tush push perfectly embodies the essence of football.
“The game of football is… the goal is to come up with a situation to move the ball forward,” Gronkowski told Julian Edelman on the Games with Names podcast. “The tush push is totally legal. That’s what you’re supposed to do,” he emphasized-then drew parallels between the brotherly shove and Tom Brady’s signature QB sneak.
“They didn’t stop Tom Brady from doing QB sneaks,” Gronkowski recalled. “He’s got like over 1,000 rushing yards; I think every single one of them was off QB sneaking.” To be exact, Brady has 1,123 career rushing yards, much of which stemmed from his 90.5% success rate on QB sneaks-eerily similar to Jalen Hurts’ dominance with the tush push.
Will the NFL find the antidote?
During their conversation, Edelman pointed out a looming challenge: “All the DCs are studying the tush push to figure out what they need to do to stop it. Eventually, they’ll figure it out, and then it won’t be a thing anymore.” Gronkowski agreed, noting that defensive coordinators eventually neutralized Brady’s QB sneak in a similar fashion.
With the regular season just three months away, the NFL is on the clock-will teams finally crack the code to stopping Hurts and the Eagles? Or will the tush push continue to wreak havoc for another season? As Gronkowski put it, it’s not cheating-it’s football.
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