Perhaps it should come as no surprise that former Eagle and current ESPN analyst Jason Kelce would come down in favor of the play that helped his former team so much in their Super Bowl run last year, and again on Sunday.
A firestorm of controversy was ignited on Sunday after a slow-motion video showed at least two Eagles offensive linemen committing false start penalties before a critical play in which Philadelphia used its famous (or infamous, depending on your view of the play) Tush Push to help ice the game in their Super Bowl rematch against the Chiefs.
The Eagles ended up winning the game, 20-17.
The firestorm only received more fuel after the NFL mounted a copyright effort to suppress videos showing the infractions.
On Wednesday, former Eagles center Jason Kelce took to X to respond to one Tush Push critic by saying that the play is better than a punt and actually adds to the game. He also accused Tush Push haters of liking “soft football.”
“Personally I think this play adds a ton to the game of football,” Kelce wrote. “I would much rather watch this than a punt. Punting the ball and giving it to your opponent is way softer than fighting over a yard and pushing against each other. I guess you like soft football.”
Kelce was taken to task by many of his followers.
“The whole o line is lined up offsides, Jason,” one fan wrote. “How is that fair?”
Another wrote, “Pushing players was banned prior to 2005. So I guess the NFL was soft prior to then under your logic? And both pulling and carrying players is still banned. Does that make the NFL soft now? I guess so.”
One fan thought the NFL refused to ban the Tush Push to avoid controversy. “This is more of a rugby play and the only reason it’s not banned yet is it would look like the last Superbowl was compromised. Enjoy the tuah push for one final year. It’s pathetic.”
There is no doubt that there are arguments in favor of the Tush Push. They’re all bad because they’re wrong, but there are certainly arguments for keeping it legal. However, the idea that its critics are “soft,” or like “soft football,” is probably not the way to go.
One of the play’s most outspoken critics is former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher. It’s highly doubtful Kelce would consider Cowher “soft.”
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