Philadelphia Eagles

Tush Push? Brotherly Shove? Ex-NFL QB Ryan Leaf offers up new name for Eagles' signature sneak

Leaf thinks there's too much of a focus on the shoving aspect of the sneak

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Tush Push? Brotherly Shove?

Whatever you call it, the Philadelphia Eagles' signature quarterback sneak has become a controversial play.

In short-yardage situations, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts will take the snap from under center and drive forward. An Eagles player or two will then come in from behind and give Hurts an extra push to help him get either beyond the line to gain or into the end zone.

The play has been nearly unstoppable over the past couple of the seasons...Well, at least when the Eagles run it.

Others teams haven't enjoyed as much success with it.

There have also been some instances where players got injured while attempting the sneak.

All of this has led there to calls from around the NFL world for the Tush Push/Brotherly Shove to be banned. NBC Sports' Peter King called the play an "abomination" while Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs termed it "cheating."

But former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf doesn't understand the fuss surrounding it. Leaf thinks there's too much of a focus on the shoving aspect of the sneak and not enough on the quarterback who has perfected it.

"I don't know why people are so fascinated by this. This has been going on for 50 years of football," Leaf told NBC. "Still pictures do not do (the play) justice because it can look like they're pushing the hell out of (Hurts) and it's simply not the case. I mean, he navigates it as good as anybody.

"Why last year when (the Eagles) tried to push Gardner Minshew did it not work? Because you got the guy running it who's superb at it. Why do you think everybody else who's tried to run it around the league can't get it done? They don't have Jalen Hurts."

Leaf added that he believes the name of the play should honor Hurts' mastery, and he even offered up a suggestion.

"If you want to call it anything, I would add nothing to 'shove' here. I would find something individualistic to name it, like 'Hurts So Good,'" Leaf said. "That's what for me would be it, because that's exactly what it is.

"Jalen Hurts is the reason why this goes, not somebody pushing him from behind."

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