Philadelphia Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata is mad. Blood-boiling mad.
Mailata dismissed the narrative that his team’s 20-17 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in a Super Bowl rematch was primarily due to their use of the “tush push” play.
Critics contend the controversial move has been a vital cog in the team’s success for some time. It became a significant factor in Sunday’s game. And Mailata doesn’t think that’s fair.
“I understand the outrage. What I don’t understand is them using it as an excuse to why we won the game. I think it’s incredibly disrespectful to our defense and our special teams who balled out,” the Second Team All-Pro fumed in an interview with 94 WIP on Philadelphia on Tuesday.
When you consistently use a gimmick play in which half of your team is lined up offside to get crucial third or fourth-down conversions, there are going to be critics, my man.
Jordan Mailata thinks it is "bullcrap" that members of the national media believe the Eagles NEED the tush push to win.
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) September 16, 2025
"It makes my blood boil just thinking about it." pic.twitter.com/x1YBhxwwhx
Jordan Mailata – We didn’t win because of the ‘Tush Push’
The Eagles ran the play seven times against the Chiefs. So the “tush push” definitely played a factor in the win. But Mailata wouldn’t concede that basic fact.
“That pisses me off because we give so much to this game and to kind of base off a short-yardage play, that is a football play,” the offensive tackle angrily stated. “And say that we won the game off that, but not how our defense played and not how our special teams have played, putting us in those positions. You know, I think it’s bullcrap.”
“I just think it’s rubbish. Absolute rubbish, man. It makes my blood boil just thinking about it.”
Some would say the only thing that amounts to “bullcrap” is that the Eagles continue to make a mockery of the game by using the “push” in the first place.
RELATED: NFC Rival Trying To Get Philadelphia Eagles ‘Tush Push’ Banned: ‘No Skill Involved’
Teams tried to get it Banned
The Philadelphia Eagles’ “tush push” is a highly effective short-yardage play in which quarterback Jalen Hurts lines up under center with two or three teammates directly behind him, ready to push. As the ball is snapped, Hurts surges forward while his teammates shove him from behind, often converting first downs or scoring touchdowns in tight situations.
Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy has blasted the play and even submitted a proposal to the league to get it banned. It was unsuccessful, obviously.
“I am not a fan of this play,” Murphy said in a Q&A on the Packers’ team website. “There is no skill involved, and it is almost an automatic first down on plays of a yard or less.”
The “tush push” stirs controversy because critics argue it resembles a rugby scrum more than traditional football. The pile-up it creates raises concerns about player safety as well.
There was a rule previously in the NFL that prohibited players from pushing the ball carrier forward.
Until 2005, the league’s regulations banned offensive teammates from both pushing and pulling the runner to gain additional yardage. However, that year, the rule was revised to allow pushing. This happened largely because officials found it too challenging to consistently determine who was pushing whom in the chaos of a play.
But the “tush push” isn’t difficult to see. It’s a gimmick that cheapens the game. And it’s long past time the NFL banned the move.