Saquon Barkley doesn’t love that he lost more than 10 touchdowns in 2024 due to the Philadelphia Eagles‘ use of the controversial Tush Push.
But Barkley also had strong words for critics of the play in the week that the play was revived in a vote at the NFL spring meetings this week.
“I think it’s soft,” Barkley said of those trying to ban the play on the “Exciting Mikes” podcast with Eagles teammates Cooper DeJean and Reed Blankenship. “Everybody can do it. It’s not a play that only we can do. … Them trying to eliminate it, I think is kind of lame.”
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts scored 14 touchdowns from a yard out by executing the Brotherly Shove play — including three in the playoffs — and secured countless more first downs by using it. But Barkley still finished with 13 rushing TDs.
Coach Nick Sirianni came up with the rugby-scrum-style play for Philadelphia to move the chains and pound the ball in the end zone while taking advantage of Hurts’ strength and its dominant offensive line.
“I’ve been playing the Eagles for a long time, and they’ve been doing it for a long time,” Barkley said before adding. “We have one of the best and biggest offensive lines, and Jalen Hurts can squat 600 pounds. That’s not our fault.”
How To Ban?
The Tush Push play ban was not banned earlier in the off-season when teams had the opportunity to do so, but the three Eagles players debated how the play could plausibly be legislated.
“What they’re going to try to do is eliminate pushing in general,” Barkley said. “You can’t pull a pile, but you know how you can push a pile? They’re going to try and eliminate that.”
The concept left DeJean confused.
“What if you push someone, [the officials] are going to blow it dead and throw a flag?” he asked. “How are you going to ref that?”
Even though the Packers brought the Brotherly Shove to the chopping block, by suggesting the league outlaw the play. Barkley believes the other backers are Philadelphia’s NFC East rivals, Barkley’s former team the New York Giants, plus the Cowboys and Commanders.
“The teams that want to get rid of it are the teams that see us two or three times per year,” Barkley said. “There’s no coincidence.”
Barkley also threw out a half-serious rule alternative instead.
“Why don’t you get rid of the quarterback sneak in general?” he said. “They’re not gonna do that.”
One Of The Best Ever
Though they went 14-3 in the regular season, Barkley feels the 2024 Eagles deserve to be in the conversation of one of the NFL’s greatest teams.
“I firmly believe, when you look at the team we had last year, I think we’re a top-five team of all-time,” Barkley said. “We started off 2-2, and we lost to Washington — [Hurts] got hurt that game — but if you look at the season outside of the first four games, it was belt to [butt].”
Barkley rushed for 2,005 yards behind Philadelphia’s offensive line, and the Eagles were second in the NFL in points-against per game (17.8). In their four playoff games, the Eagles outscored the opposition 145-77, including their 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
“From how dominant you were on defense, to how dominant we were on offense, people don’t realize how great of a team that actually was,” Barkley said.
