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Should the Bears run the 'Tush Push' against the Cowboys in Week 3?

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Pete Martuneac | Last updated Sep 18, 2025 1:10 PM ET

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has admitted publicly that he's 'not a big tush push guy', in reference to the QB-sneak variant made infamous by the Philadelphia Eagles. Johnson likes explosive plays, and the Tush Push is more of a glorified rugby scrum. There's probably more to his dislike for the play than just that, but there's plenty of reasons why not all teams use this 'unstoppable' play.

However, staring down the barrel of an 0-3 start to the season after a crushing Week 2 defeat, it might be time for Ben Johnson to reconsider his stance. Especially when we all saw how poorly the Bears fared in short-yardage situations last week against the Lions. In what was an early inflection point in the game, the Bears turned the ball over on downs after failing to convert on two successive QB sneaks: one on 3rd down with about a yard and a half to go, and again on 4th-and-1.

Converting on this play may not have changed the outcome of the game, but the loss may have not been so lopsided had Chicago kept the ball and scored a touchdown there. So should the Bears add the Tush Push to their arsenal for their Week 3 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys?

Jordan Mailata thinks they should. The Eagles offensive tackle has been passionately defending the Tush Push all week, even going so far as to say that every team in the NFL should be doing it.

Jordan Mailata: “This is my official plea to all the other teams out there. You can run the Tush Push the same way we do.” #Eagles pic.twitter.com/vkTfiercOx
— EJ Smith (@EJSmith94) September 17, 2025

The problem with his assessment is that every team can not, in fact, run this play the way Philly does. For one thing, Philly has been practicing this play for years and gotten very good at it. They also have arguably the best offensive line in the league and a compact, burly quarterback who can push the pile.

Another reason, one that's a bit more sobering, is that many teams see the risk for a catastrophic neck injury in this play and don't believe it's worth it. Furthermore, they don't even want to risk practicing this play, and a play you don't practice can't be expected to work in a game.

At the end of the day, it's a weird play that some have accused of being inconsistently officiated and looks extremely risky for everyone involved, so I don't expect the Bears to start running it. In fact, I'd prefer if they scrap the QB sneak altogether. Kansas City hasn't run a sneak since 2019 when Patrick Mahomes was injured on a sneak attempt, and they've done pretty well. It just doesn't make much sense to expose your quarterback to that kind of injury risk.

The Bears would be better off bringing in an extra offensive lineman into the backfield as a blocking fullback in short-yardage situations and handing the ball to a power runner like Roschon Johnson or the rookie Kyle Monangai. If they want to get tricky, try the QB sneak with Cole Kmet taking the snap under center, as they did a couple times under the previous regime. No matter what they do, however, they've got to figure out how to get those tough yards to keep drives alive.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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