The debate over the infamous tush push is back. And this time, it’s taking center stage at the NFL’s annual meeting. The owners of the 32 teams will vote on Tuesday to decide whether Philadelphia’s signature play remains a part of the game or gets the boot. The tush push has caused a ton of controversy this year, especially after Philly’s big win.
The Eagles‘ mastered move is not just a technical discussion anymore; it’s sparked all kinds of reactions from fans, players, and coaches alike. Strong opinions are pouring in from all sides. But one opinion has caught heat from netizens, and that is Sean McDermott‘s.
Buffalo Bills HC Sean McDermott has been a strong critic of the Eagles’ tush push since the beginning. And his point remains that it risks the safety of the players. “I’ve dove deeper into more of the data on it and just thought more about it as well, and my position hasn’t changed at all,” Sean said on Monday as he appeared before the media at the NFL annual meeting.
“Where I’m most concerned is, even though there’s not significant data out there to this point, my biggest concern is the health and safety of the players, first and foremost,” he added. As of now, the tush push has not caused any injuries, according to NFL EVP Troy Vincent.
Tush push ban: Packers’ Brian Gutekunst, Bills’ Sean McDermott point to player safety concerns as reason for supporting proposalhttps://t.co/QiM5BO0qSc pic.twitter.com/CleByWaySj
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) March 31, 2025
Sean McDermott sticks to his belief that the tush push involves too much force. And particularly with the way players are positioned during the play. He argues that this setup increases the risk of injury. So, while Sean remains adamant in his stance, netizens were quick to react to the Bills HC’s statements.
Internet reacts to Sean McDermott’s Stance on Tush Push play
Is it that all the teams in favor of banning the tush push are doing so because they can’t execute it as successfully as Nick Sirianni‘s Philly? It’s no secret that almost every team has tried to copy the Eagles‘ trick, but none has had the same success. The Eagles have mastered it, and clearly, the rest of the NFL is a bit frustrated because they could not. That’s the theory floating around, at least. As one user commented on X, “They’re just MAD that they can’t have the same success as Philly.“
Another user took it a step further by pointing out an incident where Josh Allen had to “smell salts” to revive himself after taking a hit. The user commented, “Buffalo, in particular, complaining about player safety is laughable. Go rewatch the tape of Bills vs. Texans this year. Josh Allen’s head bounced off the turf. And he re-entered after the camera caught him grabbing a whiff of smelling salts.”
Honestly, things are heating up now. Packers GM Brian Gutekunst, who originally submitted the proposal to the NFL, on Monday, shared his thoughts. “Yeah, really wasn’t a huge part of drafting the proposal like that. But very much in support of it. I think this is something that needs to be discussed and we need to be proactive about it rather than reactive.“
“This is a lame cop-out. If you’re doing it based on the rules, I get it, but other than that, it’s strictly loser vibes,” wrote another user. So, the bottom line is that Philly’s tush push is once again stirring up another round of drama. In just a few hours, we’ll find out what the owners of all 32 franchises decide. Will the play remain a part of the game, or will it be buried once and for all?
The post Josh Allen’s Bills Become Laughing Stock of NFL After Sean McDermott’s Strong Words on Nick Sirianni’s Signature Play appeared first on EssentiallySports.