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Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan, joins the conversation in the NFL’s most controversial room.
The Eagles’ dreaded drive, where quarterback Jalen Hurts is pushed over the line for a win or the goal line for a touchdown, has drawn heavy criticism midway through the 2025 NFL season. The game was difficult to officiate properly amid another strong start for Philadelphia.
There was a vote this past offseason on whether the Tush Push should be banned after the Green Bay Packers submitted a formal proposal. The vote failed, allowing the Eagles – and every other NFL team – to play the game this season.
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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) scores on the tush rush during the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles on December 3, 2023, at Lincoln Financial Field. (Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
There was talk again that the owners should revisit the vote, but Shapiro likes the way the game is working for his team. He wants it to stay.
“Hell no!” he told Puck’s Peter Hamby when asked if the play should be banned. “And by the way, it’s absolute bulls—that these other teams that can’t keep Jalen Hurts – that don’t have an offensive line like the Eagles built under the incredible leadership of Howie Roseman – that they now want to ban him. I mean, it’s ridiculous.
“If they want to be successful, maybe they should go out and draft a great quarterback like Jalen Hurts?”
EAGLES GREAT JASON KELCE SAYS DIFFICULTY OF OFFICIATING THE TUSH PUSH WOULD BE ‘A REASON TO BAN IT’
Hurts, despite winning a Super Bowl last season and earning Super Bowl MVP honors, has often been left out of the elite quarterback conversation, which usually includes Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and others.
Shapiro said he was tired of the disrespect.
“Frankly, I’m also tired of Jalen Hurts not getting the respect he’s due. I think he deserves the respect. The Birds deserve the respect, and the decision to ban the tush push is just an excuse for not having a team good enough to do it,” he said.
Eagles legend Jason Kelce, who played a central role in the tush push’s success, recently admitted that if the game is difficult to officiate, that would be “a reason to ban it.”
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) appears to fumble the ball while performing the tush push play during the game between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles. The game took place at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 26, 2025. (Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“I know there’s been a lot of noise around false starts and now this game, and I get it,” he said during his speech. New heights podcast. “If the tush push is difficult to administer, that would certainly be a reason to ban it.”
Kelce’s comments came after the Eagles’ win over the New York Giants, when perhaps the most controversial butt-pushing call of the season took place. Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux knocked the ball out of Hurts’ hands as he tried to extend his arms for a first down. Hurts was still advancing on the play, which looked like a fumble to those watching.
However, officials ruled the play dead for forward progression, saying Hurts had already crossed the line on first down to win. Giants head coach Brian Daboll was furious and many people in the football world spoke out. The consensus was that it should have been called a fumble – and even Kelce agreed.
“It’s a fumble, they missed it,” he said.
At the same time, Kelce defended the play regardless of how it was officiated.
“I know everyone wants to get back up and running. Again, I don’t see how that has anything to do with pushing forward. Officials miss progress calls all the time,” he said. “I’m not trying to make excuses; I just don’t know how these little things have to do with pushing. For example, it will always be a problem if the Eagles sneak at quarterback – that’s my only caveat.”
Governor Josh Shapiro speaks during the Wawa Welcome America Freedom Celebration ceremony on July 4, 2023, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images)
The push is going to stick around for the rest of the season, and Eagles fans like Shapiro will love every time Hurts is pushed forward for extra yards.
Whether players, coaches or fans like it or not, the hope is that officials simply call it correctly.
