Bears’ Ben Johnson drops mic on Tush Push drama

After weeks, no, months of debates, the Tush Push officially remains unbanned, coming two votes short of the required 24 to send it packing.

Jeffrey Lurie and his Philadelphia Eagles were ecstatic, with their “wet dream” play remaining eligible for 2025 contests, and it seemed like every member of every team in the NFL has an opinion on the situation’s final results.

Asked about the play, which his own team voted to ban earlier in the day, new Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson noted that he doesn’t like the play for one reason in particular: it doesn’t lead to explosive results.

“Man, I tell you what, does it become an explosive play ever?” Johnson asked. “Have you ever seen a Tush Push become an explosive play? I like explosive plays. I like big plays. So, I’m not a big Tush Push guy myself.”

Now as even the reporters in the room noted, the play does almost always result in either a first down or a touchdown, which are among the most important plays in all of football, but does a short-yardage play designed to get a few yards often result in 20, 30, or an even larger gain? Not often, no, unless, of course, the team runs a trick play off of it, like Kenneth Gainwell’s flea flicker to DeVonta Smith against the Arizona Cardinals back in 2023. Because the Tush Push draws in so much attention around the offensive line, the Eagles can make tweaks to the formula and make big gains as a result, just like how Tom Brady would occasionally option out of a traditional QB sneak in favor of a pass or outside run.

As one of the more dominant plays in recent memory, it makes sense that some teams would like to remove it from the game instead of having to defend it successfully. With that being said, the Eagles’ unique combination of elite offensive line play and a power-running quarterback under center is a big reason why the play is so successful, not because Saquon Barkley and Dallas Goedert gave the old heave-ho from the offensive backfield. If teams like the Bears want to eliminate the Eagles’ competitive advantage, they, too, can invest in the trenches on both sides of the ball to dominate the short-yardage game, too.