Travis Kelce backs tush push despite Chiefs’ 2025 Super Bowl loss to Eagles - "Let football be football"

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is familiar with the tush push play, having played the Philadelphia Eagles twice in the Super Bowl.

While it's become an infamous short-yardage play invented by the Eagles a few seasons ago, there's been debate about eliminating the short-yardage play compared to a rugby scrum from the league.

Yesterday, it was reported that 16 of the 32 NFL teams backed the Green Bay Packers' proposal to ban the play. The league needs 24 votes to pass a proposed rule change.

While some don't favor the play, Kelce stood up for the Eagles and doesn't see why the play should be banned. He gave his thoughts on Wednesday's episode of the New Heights podcast.

Kelce said:

"Listen, there are four downs that a team gets to get a first down or get in the end zone. If the tush push is just one play that you run when you have a short-yardage situation, those may come up a handful of times throughout a game. Yep, and it's like you can't get upset at that one play, you know what I mean?

"I understand the whole, 'If you want to say it's not safe.' Football isn't a safe game to play. So, I know we're trying to make it safer or whatever, but it is what it is. I think it's a football-type of play. It's a toughness play that you need to be in sync with the guys next to you and the guys around you, and that's on both sides of the ball."

He added:

"I don't think we need to be banning this. Or, like you said, how far down the line does it go? Are players on the defense not allowed to hold guys up now to try and have somebody come in and get a strip like that? Yeah, at what point are we just going to let football be football?" (12:55)

Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie speaks out on the league trying to abolish the tush push

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie during Super Bowl LIX: Kansas City Chiefs v Philadelphia Eagles - Source: Getty

The Philadelphia Eagles are prepared for the worst. The decision to ban the tush push play will be revisited next month in Minnesota during the league's spring meeting.

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie gave his thoughts on the league possibly banning the tush push play.

He said:

“I don’t ever remember a play being banned because a single team or a few teams were running it effectively. It’s part of what I think most of us love about football is it’s a chess match. Let the chess match play out. And if for any reason it does get banned, we’ll try to be the very best at short-yardage situations. We’ve got a lot of ideas there."

So, while it isn't banned yet, there is a chance that the play will be banned at the league's spring meeting next month.

Do you think the tush push play should be banned?