Eagles' Lane Johnson Injured By Tush Push As Play Claims One Of Its Own
Will this re-open the debate about safety?
The Philadelphia Eagles continue to bust out the notorious Tush Push — presented by DUDE Wipes — on a weekly basis, but this week it claimed a victim in an unfortunate bit of friendly fire.
Eagles tackle Lane Johnson suffered a stinger injury over the weekend when the Birds hosted the Los Angeles Rams, and it was revealed this week that it was all thanks to the Brotherly Shove.
The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane broke the news on Thursday.
Now, take note of that last part. This is the first time one of the Eagles has suffered a significant injury while running the most controversial play in football.
Which is kind of incredible if you think about it. One of the many arguments against the Tush Push is that it's dangerous, especially for the team running the play.
Well, the Eagles have now been running it for years, and this is one of the first times there's been a notable injury. Still, McLane reported that Johnson was still talking about playing this weekend against the Buccaneers, only at right tackle.
Personally, I love the Tush Push, and not just because I have Jalen Hurts in the OutKick staff fantasy football league, and it's kind of a cheat code for a rushing touchdown almost every week.
I just like the idea that the Eagles came up with something so effective that not only do teams have a hard time stopping it, they have a hard time replicating it.
That last part is the reason I don't think it should be banned. If everyone starts doing it and it makes every short yardage situation a veritable gimme for all 32 teams, then, yes, ban it.
That's not the case.
However, this injury may reignite that debate over safety, especially when there are plenty of Tush Push critics looking for every opportunity to pounce.