Pennsylvania Gov Josh Shapiro defends Eagles controversial tush push

The NFL’s most controversial play has Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan, joining the conversation.

The Eagles’ dreaded tush push, where quarterback Jalen Hurts is shoved over the line to gain or the goal line for a touchdown, has drawn heavy criticism midway through the 2025 NFL season. The play has been difficult to officiate properly amid another strong start for Philadelphia.

There was a vote this past offseason on whether the tush push should be banned after the Green Bay Packers submitted a formal proposal. The vote failed, allowing the Eagles — and every other team in the NFL — to perform the play this season.

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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) scores on the tush push during the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 3, 2023, at Lincoln Financial Field.  (Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

There has been talk again that owners should revisit the vote, but Shapiro loves how the play works for his team. He wants it to stay.

“Hell no!” he told Puck’s Peter Hamby when asked if the play should be banned. “And by the way, it’s absolute bulls— that these other teams who can’t guard Jalen Hurts — who do not have an offensive line like the Eagles have built under Howie Roseman’s incredible leadership — that now they want to ban it. I mean, it’s ridiculous.

“If they want to be successful, maybe they should go out and draft a great quarterback like Jalen Hurts?”

EAGLES GREAT JASON KELCE SAYS THE DIFFICULTY OF OFFICIATING THE TUSH PUSH WOULD ‘BE A REASON TO BAN IT’

Hurts, despite winning a Super Bowl last season and earning Super Bowl MVP honors, has often been left out of the elite quarterback conversation, which usually includes Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and others.

Shapiro said he’s tired of the disrespect.

“Frankly, I’m also sick and tired of Jalen Hurts not getting the respect that he is due. I think he deserves respect. The Birds deserve respect, and moving to ban the tush push is merely an excuse for not having a good enough team to do it,” he said.

Eagles legend Jason Kelce, who played a pivotal role in making the tush push so successful, recently admitted that if the play is hard to officiate, that would “be a reason to ban it.”

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) appears to fumble the ball while running the Tush Push play during the game between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles. The game took place at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 26, 2025. (Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“I know there has been a lot of noise around false starts and now this play, and I get it,” he said on his New Heights podcast. “If the tush push is hard to officiate, that would certainly be a reason to ban it.”

Kelce’s comments came after the Eagles’ win over the New York Giants, when perhaps the most controversial call of the season on the tush push occurred. Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux ripped the ball out of Hurts’ hands as he tried extending his arms for a first down. Hurts was still moving on the play, which looked like a fumble to those watching.

However, officials ruled the play dead for forward progress, saying Hurts was already over the first-down line to gain. Giants head coach Brian Daboll was livid, and many around the football world weighed in. The consensus was that it should have been called a fumble — and even Kelce agreed.

“It’s a fumble, they missed it,” he said.

At the same time, Kelce defended the play regardless of how it’s officiated.

“I know everyone wants to get on the tush again. Again, I don’t see how this has anything to do with the tush push. Officials miss forward progress calls all the time,” he said. “I’m not looking to make excuses; I just don’t know how these little things have to do with the pushing of tushes. Like, it’ll still be an issue if the Eagles run a quarterback sneak — that’s my one caveat to it.”

Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks at the Celebration of Freedom Ceremony during Wawa Welcome America on July 4, 2023, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images)

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The tush push will remain for the rest of the season, and Eagles fans like Shapiro will love every time Hurts gets shoved forward for extra yards.

Whether players, coaches or fans like it or not, the hope is that officials simply call it correctly.

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