Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles have been a frequent topic of conversation over the last few years due to the controversial nature of their signature ‘tush push’ play. Numerous teams have utilized the play, but none have been as effective as the Eagles.
However, controversy surrounding the play has increased recently due to missed false starts and a potentially early whistle in week eight. Former Eagles center Jason Kelce weighed in on the week eight controversy during an episode of his podcast, “New Heights.”
Jason Kelce Addresses the Latest Tush Push Controversy
Early in the second quarter of week eight, the Eagles lined up for a fourth-and-one tush push in a tie game against the New York Giants. The play started like every other tush push play, with the Eagles pushing Hurts forward, attempting to get past the line to gain.
However, the controversy of this play arose with the timing of the whistle for forward progress. Hurts was still being pushed forward when Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux ripped the ball out and recovered the fumble, seemingly giving the Giants possession of the ball.
Referees ruled that Jalen Hurts’ forward progress was stopped before Kayvon Thibodeaux took the ball away from him on the tush push pic.twitter.com/rW4Mx3MNv5
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) October 26, 2025
Whistles were heard after the play’s conclusion, but the official ruling was that forward progress had already been stopped.
Kelce, a former 13-year NFL veteran who was once an integral part of the play, defended the play while acknowledging officials missed this particular call.
“His forward momentum wasn’t stopped,” said the former Eagles’ star. “I know everyone wants to get on the tush push, again I don’t see how this has anything to do with the tush push. Officials miss forward progress calls all the time.”
It’s hard to argue Kelce’s point, as forward progress is up to the judgment of the referees and is not subject to review. Further instances like this one could raise the question of whether forward progress could become reviewable.
This type of missed call could happen on any play, not just the tush push; the already controversial nature of the play call has made this a talking point. While this was the first instance of a turnover being prevented by a ruling from this particular play, this is far from the only reason the play is being discussed.
Is the Tush Push Tough to Officiate?
The main discussion around the play in 2025 has centered on offensive linemen moving before the ball is snapped.
“I know there’s been a lot of noise around false starts, and now this play, and I get it,” Kelce added. “If the tush push truly is hard to officiate, that would certainly be a reason to ban it. I’m not looking to make excuses, I just don’t know how these little things have to do with the actual pushing of tushes.”
The NFL has begun cracking down on early movement on this play, as teams are now being called for false starts.
The potential to ban the play was considered in the offseason, but a vote to do so did not pass. However, if officiating mistakes continue to arise on the play, maybe that will change.
The argument against banning it stems from the fact that any team can run the play the Eagles have just done so more effectively. Much of that can be attributed to a dominant offensive line and Hurts’ strength. However, Philadelphia’s offensive line play has declined in 2025, ranking No. 18 in PFSN’s team offensive line impact rankings with a score of 71.2 (C-), and the team has still found success on the field.
If the officiating on the play doesn’t improve, a potential vote to ban it could be revisited in the offseason or a future offseason. Until then, Philadelphia will continue to utilize the play, look to make another late-season run, and push to defend its crown as the reigning Super Bowl champions.
