Saquon Barkley fires back at ‘Tush Push’ haters: ‘If you don’t like it, get better at stopping it’

Known for his elusiveness on the football field, Saquon Barkley has taken a different, more direct approach this offseason when it comes to discussing a few matters involving himself. 

Barkley, who recently defended his decision to golf with President Donald Trump, has also come to the defense of the “Tush Push,” the Philadelphia Eagles‘ highly successful yet highly controversial play. 

“If you don’t like it, get better at stopping it,” Barkley recently told ESPN. “It’s not like a play that we only do. Everyone tries it, we’re just super successful at it.” 

While it’s still legal, you could say that the “Tush Push” is in jeopardy of becoming part of football’s recent past. NFL owners tabled a vote on the play’s future on April (16 owners voted to outlaw the play) and there has reportedly been a strong push to have the play banned when the owners meet again later this month. 

For any rule or new league policy to pass, it needs 75% of the owners to vote the same way. If the 16 owners who voted to outlaw the “Tush Push” in April still feel the same way, that means that at least eight more owners will have to have a change of heart regarding the play the next time there is a vote. 

The play, which involves offensive teammates pushing a ball-carrier through the middle of the line of scrimmage, has both passionate supporters and opposers. 

Typically, those who are against it (like Hall of Fame coach Bill Cowher) argue that it simply isn’t a football play. There’s also the safety element of the play, although the NFL has stated several times that it hasn’t found significant evidence that the play carries a higher injury rate. 

One thing that can’t be debated is how successful the Eagles are at running the play. Last year, the Eagles converted 39 out of 48 attempts for either a first down or a touchdown. One of those plays was quarterback Jalen Hurts‘ short touchdown run in Super Bowl LIX that jump-started the Eagles’ eventual 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. 

The play has obviously been instrumental to the career of Barkley, whose first season in Philadelphia couldn’t have gone any better. Last year, Barkley became the ninth player to rush for over 2,000 yards and the first to do so since 2012. He also broke Terrell Davis’ single-season rushing record (including the postseason) and joined Davis and Emmitt Smith as the only players to win the rushing title and a Super Bowl in the same season. 

For those reasons, it’s easy to see why Barkley wants to see the “Tush Push” live to see another season. It’ll be interesting to see if enough of the NFL’s owners feel the same way later this month.