“Doesn’t make any sense to me”: Eagles’ Cam Jurgens gets brutally honest about complaints against tush push

Cam Jurgens is opening up about the Philadelphia Eagles' signature fourth-down play that has everybody talking. His team’s near-perfect execution of the tush-push has created plenty of outrage across the NFL, with several teams calling for the play to be banned.

The Eagles center says he doesn’t understand the problem people have.

“I’ve heard a million different takes on this. People say I’m lining up offsides. I’m holding the ball!,” Jurgens said on X. “I can be on the ball. That doesn’t make any sense to me. People act like I’m offsides.”

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Despite the complaints, many people have, the tush-push remains a legal play. Legendary former quarterback Tom Brady is one of those who doesn’t have an issue with the Eagles using it. He called the play:

“Not controversial at all.”

The Eagles have used that play with plenty of regularity on short fourth downs, and they’ve been nearly automatic when it comes to converting those gambles. At the league meetings this spring, the Green Bay Packers proposed that the NFL implement a rule change to not allow that play in the future. Unfortunately, the motion didn’t get enough support from other clubs when it came to a vote.

That means for the time being, Philly’s opponents will have to try to stop it, or not give them any fourth-and-short opportunities.

Referees watching the tush-push closely

The tush-push remains a legal play, but it’s one that officials will be watching very closely.

That’s because there were a couple of instances in the Eagles' last game versus the Kansas City Chiefs that generated some controversy afterwards.

Evidently, there were moments where the Eagles may have been offside but were flagged. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid believes that Philly:

“Might have had a couple [QB sneak plays] that they got off a little early on,” said Reid. “We want to officiate it tight. We want to be black and white and be as tight as we can be when we get into this situation where teams are in the bunch position,” stated the NFL vice president of officiating training and development, Ramon George.

In Sunday’s victory over the Chiefs, the Eagles ran the tush-push six times and gained four first downs and one touchdown.

Since 2022, the Eagles have converted the short yardage play 96.6% of the time, more than anybody in the NFL over that span.

Edited by Joel Lefevre