Tristan Wirfs Celebrates NFL Saving The Tush Push
May 22nd, 2025
Tristan Wirfs is happy the Tush Push ban failed.
Football people and those who know how to make and invest money look at the world through two different prisms.
Apparently, despite the vocal public protests of Bucs coach Todd Bowles, Team Glazer voted yesterday to ban the Tush Push, per Adam Schefter of BSPN.
The Tush Push was saved as not enough owners voted to abolish it.
This is a weird one for Joe. The controversial play does not have any data to back up claims it is dangerous. There has to be a longer-range view to this attempted ban that relates to dollars and cents that Joe isn’t recognizing. Joe’s not being sarcastic. The NFL is a business, not a recreation.
So many teams being against the Tush Push tells Joe there is something financial to lose by keeping the play. Otherwise, since it doesn’t cause injuries, why would the league seem hellbent on getting rid of it?
If there was a logical reason to get rid of this play that wouldn’t anger fans, the NFL would have already come out and explained it to help boost its case. You know, win the court of public opinion.
(The term “follow the money” very much applies to the NFL.)
So Joe wonders what the reaction is in the highest reaches of One Buc Palace to Team Glazer’s best player not named “Mike Evans” or “Lavonte David” openly celebrating how the attempted ban was foiled yesterday at the owners meetings in Minnesota.
Bucs All-Pro tackle Tristan Wirfs did a podcast with AP senior NFL writer Rob Maaddi, a regular at One Buc Palace writing Bucs-related items.
Wirfs was very happy the ban failed. In a roundabout way, he echoed Bowles, saying the lone problem with the play is that few teams have found a way to stop it — except the Bucs.
“I was definitely against it being banned,” Wirfs said. “It’s a hard thing to do. [The Eagles] are one of the only teams to have success with it.
“If there was a cheat code, then everyone would do it. But not everyone can.”
Then, Wirfs broke out in a huge smile and added, “I will say the Bucs were one of the [very few] teams that stopped it.”
And they did. Joe isn’t saying the Bucs shut that play down but they’ve had a lot better luck stopping it than most.
Joe finds the official Bucs angle curious if not humorous. Bowles has been publicly vocal against the proposed ban. Now Wirfs has joined Bowles, yet Bucs ownership is clearly for the ban.
(One Buc) Palace intrigue!
#Buccaneers All-Pro LT Tristan Wirfs on the tush push: "If it was a cheat code, then everyone would do it, but not everybody can." Wirfs spoke today at a leadership event in Tampa presented by @ChaseforBiz pic.twitter.com/wGzABSnMQC
— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) May 21, 2025
May 22nd, 2025 at 12:30 am
Hope we bring up Big Dez for the Eagles game, And set up a road block on that ass.
🏴☠️ 💪 💯
May 22nd, 2025 at 12:54 am
I cannot wait until this is no longer a big deal. I was trying to listen to local radio and oh my God. You would have thought someone defiled Lambeau field with the amount of moaning and complaining Packers radio was displaying. I had to shut it off. For the record, I hate the Packers, but sports are sports and I’m too cheap to get Sirius.
May 22nd, 2025 at 12:55 am
No tush push needed…big V and big Dez with little Bucky behind them….wheres the lie?
May 22nd, 2025 at 12:57 am
And on the D side, it never worked against us anyway….we ARE the kryptonite to that tush push.
May 22nd, 2025 at 1:36 am
I hate the play.
May 22nd, 2025 at 5:08 am
Hate the play, but don’t care one way, or another.
May 22nd, 2025 at 6:31 am
We’re going to stomp them again this season. Jalen Hurts should call in sick for that game.
May 22nd, 2025 at 6:42 am
Keep em at 3rd & 4th and long and the tush push will not be used. A good defense will not have it used much on them.
May 22nd, 2025 at 6:53 am
The proposed evolution to ban all pushing will have far reaching unintended consequences imo.
The nfl is hoping to avoid a scenario like the nfc championship game @joe. Where the refs almost awarded a touchdown to the eagles because the other team kept jumping offsides to try and stop the tush push.
Once a ref has to do that- there will be a loss of credibility by the nfl. “Oh were just sanding out points”?
May 22nd, 2025 at 6:53 am
Handing.
May 22nd, 2025 at 7:15 am
3rd or 4th and goal with a yard or less to convert is undoubtedly one of the most physical plays in the game of football.
The cerebral will want to take the easy 3 points.
The toxically masculine will want to go for the TD.
While I appreciate and understand the ‘points on the board’ argument, I lean towards the ‘TD for the win’ side.
May 22nd, 2025 at 7:36 am
The fans, armchair QB and coaches get to second guess after the fact. Each game time decision should be different based on the situation. Down and distance, personnel, score and momentum…
These are the decisions of a head coach. Win, and he’ll be lauded for making the right decision. Lose…? Then fans will be calling for a new one.
Fans don’t get to make those ‘big’ decisions though (thankfully).
[Although I often ‘wish’ I could]
May 22nd, 2025 at 7:59 am
All teams are allowed to do it. Just because some teams can’t do it is not a reason to stop it.
May 22nd, 2025 at 8:56 am
Since 2017 the success rate of the Quarterback Sneak is 85.9%,
Eagles Tush push is successful 85%-87% so it is about the same.
Tush push is safer for the QB.
I’ve seen sneaks where the QB is held by the legs and a Linebacker drills the QB in the chest and bends them over backwards. Also the defense is punching at the ball and often missing to try to get it loose.
Why not ban the peanut punch? Punch a guy after the play and it’s 15 yards and an ejection but during the play a runner is assaulted by three thugs and not a peep. If it is allowed it should be open hand and anything with a closed fist a penalty.
Tush Push is fine. Offense offsets the same kind of push from the defense that has been going on for years.
May 22nd, 2025 at 9:04 am
That’s not on the Eagles! That’s on Dan Quinn. The NFL should have suspended the guy (or thrown him out of the game) for what he did.
He runs Washington’s defense since he’s a defensive guy. He ordered or at least allowed his team to start doing that juvenile act.
May 22nd, 2025 at 10:00 am
they’ll fake the tush push and score on a 60-yard screen play
May 22nd, 2025 at 10:02 am
fan of the south — was first used on October 10, 2021 in week 5 vs. the Panthers
May 22nd, 2025 at 10:02 am
I love how Kelce says it contributed to his retirement decision then makes 180 degree turn at meeting and nobody calls him on it
May 22nd, 2025 at 10:51 am
Other teams don’t have a VEA…. seems to help
May 22nd, 2025 at 11:46 am
LOL Exactly! Two years ago he whined how awful that play was to execute as a center — then said Vita Vea chased him into retirement.
All of a sudden, he’s all for it 60 times a game! LOL How much did Jeffy Lurie pay him to show up in Minnesota? 🙂
May 22nd, 2025 at 12:50 pm
Jeffrey Becker Says:
May 22nd, 2025 at 10:02 am
fan of the south — was first used on October 10, 2021 in week 5 vs. the Panthers
I’ll take your word on that.
My reference to 2017 was for the QB sneak in general @ 85%.
So the Tush Push has been around 4 seasons and is 85% . Could go even lower than that over the next 4 years as more teams find ways to stop it. Who knows?
When defenses key movement from the two in the backfield as the start of the play the Quarterback will have already gotten the ball after a nudge to the center and be in the end zone already.
Or maybe as Becker says a 60 yard screen pass. Don’t know about going on fourth at your own 40. 3rd down for sure. Down late in the 4th I can see it on 4th down but not as a regular thing.
May 22nd, 2025 at 5:18 pm
“Team Glazer” also voted to get rid of anything Gruden related and signed off on those atrocious alarm clock font uniforms too. They’re known for recognizing the error of their ways and making proper amends….NOT making initial good decisions; so them voting against the majority of fans’ opinions isn’t surprising in the least. Still waiting on the proper amends to training camp availability to the general public however Glazers …..HINT HINT
May 23rd, 2025 at 11:51 am
he’s just excited to get the extra rest when drives are extended