Eagles Star Mocks Steelers for Running Tush Push After Voting to Ban the Play
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The Pittsburgh Steelers may have pulled off a win overseas against the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin, but not everyone in the NFL was impressed with how they got it done. One moment in particular – the Steelers attempting their own version of the infamous “tush push” – sparked laughs from rival players.
The play came in the second quarter, when Pittsburgh lined up for a short-yardage sneak. Instead of their quarterback handling the snap, they pushed tight end Darnell Washington forward, while other teammates crashed in behind. On the sideline and across social media, reactions poured in about the Steelers resorting to the same play they once voted to outlaw.
Among those who couldn’t resist chiming in was an Eagles player, who found the moment too ironic to pass up. For Philadelphia – the team that perfected the tush push behind Jalen Hurts – watching another franchise copy it after publicly opposing it struck a funny chord.
That player was linebacker Nolan Smith Jr., who didn’t hold back his thoughts when asked about the Steelers’ attempt. “It’s funny to me – they were one of the teams that wanted to ban it, and now they’re out here trying it themselves. You can’t knock the success of what we do in Philly, but don’t act like you hate it and then copy it,” Smith Jr. said.
The Eagles, of course, have turned the tush push into a nearly unstoppable weapon, drawing league-wide debate and even votes to outlaw it this past offseason. But with Pittsburgh now trying – and celebrating – their own version, the irony wasn’t lost on fans or players around the league.
For Philadelphia, the moment only reinforces their ownership of the play. For the Steelers, it may have helped earn a win in Dublin, but it also left them open to some well-deserved trolling from rivals.