With offenses in the NFL all about passing the football, the Philadelphia Eagles has been able to dominate at the line of scrimmage with the running game for years on end.
One of the most famous ways the Eagles have done that is through their Tush Push play, in which an offensive player pushes quarterback Jalen Hurts in short-yard situations. They have used it over the last few years, which has resulted in an over 90% success rate on 4th down and short.
Not everyone in the NFL is a fan of it, however. Teams like the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills have been vocal about banning the play due to potential long-term health issues. The league will vote on banning the play at the subsequent owners meeting on May 20 and 21 in Minneapolis.
Philadelphia is already thinking a few steps ahead of time in anticipation of the play being banned. The Eagles could look into the playbooks from over 10 years ago to find a position to use.
Eagles looking at an old position to help overcome potential Tush Push ban
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie went on Sports Radio 94 WIP on Monday for the first time in three decades to celebrate former Eagle Brandon Graham's career. Lurie spoke with former Eagles fullback Jon Ritchie and gave him a tidbit about returning a position on offense.
“We are going to try to resurrect the fullback position."
Lurie said he still believes the NFL has a place for it. While it isn't known how Philadelphia is going to use the fullback position, it does show they are looking to be creative with their offense in the running game.
Kyle Juszczyk and Patrick Ricard are two of the top fullbacks in the NFL. As offenses have evolved over time, though, the position has become less widely used as offenses have transitioned to more spread, wide-open passing formations.
The Eagles had a recent history of good fullbacks playing for the team, including Ritchie, Cecil Martin, Leonard Weaver and Owen Schmitt. Weaver was even a first team All-Pro and Pro Bowler in his first season with Philadelphia in 2009 at fullback.
Fans will love hearing that Philly does have a plan at fullback in former linebacker Ben VanSumeren, who converted to the position last season. He's made 16 tackles and logged one catch in two years with the team.
Even if the NFL decides to ban the Tush Push, the Eagles have always been innovative in how to be successful on offense. Adding a fullback in front of Saquon Barkley will only add more intrigue and get defenses questioning what is coming up.
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