The controversy around the Philadelphia Eagles’ infamous “tush push” isn’t going away anytime soon. After the Eagles successfully executed the play in their Super Bowl rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs, star defensive tackle Chris Jones didn’t hold back in his postgame comments.
“We think he jumped multiple times. An official didn’t see it, so it wasn’t called,” Jones said in frustration. He argued that Eagles guards Landon Dickerson and Tyler Steen moved too early before the snap on a critical one-yard touchdown, yet no flags were thrown.
Jones doubled down, saying the play has become impossible to officiate fairly: “You can’t get all the calls right. Just because we see it, sometimes the official is 15, 20 feet away, and they can miss those small things. The tush push is garbage, and the fact it wasn’t flagged shows how much favoritism is going on.”
The Chiefs’ defender’s outburst highlighted the growing tension around the play, which many NFL figures have already lobbied to ban. Former VP of officiating Dean Blandino also weighed in, admitting he’s “done” with the play because it’s too difficult to officiate consistently.
The issue escalated further when hot mics caught Jones in a heated exchange with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts after the game. While Jones expressed anger over what he perceived as biased officiating, Hurts brushed it off, saying, “All that mattered was the win.”
The loss dropped Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to 0-2 for the first time in his NFL career, amplifying the frustration within Kansas City’s locker room. With the spotlight on officiating and growing calls for change, the NFL may soon face more pressure to revisit the legality of the tush push in 2026.
