Why 49ers’ Juszczyk is not against controversial ‘tush push’ play

Why 49ers’ Juszczyk is not against controversial ‘tush push’ play originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Philadelphia Eagles have wreaked havoc in the NFL with their notorious “tush push” play.

This QB sneak-inspired play, where two players align behind the quarterback and execute a forceful push to gain yardage, has left teams across the league struggling to defend against it even after eight weeks of the season.

Kyle Juszczyk, the experienced fullback for the 49ers, recently shared his perspective on the controversial play during an interview on KNBR’s “Murph & Mac Podcast” with Brian Murphy and Paul McCaffrey.

“Honestly, I don’t have a big problem with it,” shared Juszczyk. “It’s within the rules, and it’s up to the defense to stop it. Fred Warner even found a great way to halt the Vikings using this play on the goal line. Maybe that’s a strategy that other teams can use to stop the Eagles. I’m not against it; just because it’s effective doesn’t mean it should be banned. I’m fine with it.”

Juszczyk makes a valid point, as Warner successfully defended against the tush push when the Vikings attempted it against the 49ers in Week 7.

However, Juszczyk also believes that the play provides an unfair advantage to offenses, and teams should continue using it until proven otherwise.

“I believe that every team in the league has their own version of this play,” Juszczyk stated. “It’s just a matter of when they need to use it. At the end of the day, we all have short-yardage packages, and the beauty of this play is that you can run it repeatedly without needing any additional variations.”

While the tush push is undoubtedly advantageous for offenses, it also carries an element of danger. Players engage in a physically intense, rugby-style scrum that can potentially lead to injuries.

In fact, there are rumors that Brock Purdy entered the NFL’s concussion protocol due to a head-to-head collision while attempting this play.

As the tush push continues to make waves in the NFL, many players have mixed feelings about it. However, Juszczyk is not one of them.

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