It’s been an eventful week for connections between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Jets.
First, the Eagles reunited with former Jets general manager Joe Douglas, who had a previous stint in Philly. Now, we have learned that the Jets played a pivotal role in an NFL debate revolving around the defending Super Bowl champions.
On Wednesday, the NFL voted on the Green Bay Packers’ proposal to ban Philadelphia’s infamous “tush push” play, which features a player shoving the quarterback from behind on a sneak. For the proposal to be passed, 24 of the league’s 32 owners needed to vote in favor of banning the play.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Eagles’ nearly unstoppable short-yardage weapon will survive – barely. With a vote of 22-10, the Packers fell two votes shy of having their proposal approved.
Where do the Jets come in?
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Jets were among the teams that supported the Eagles’ position. Considering how close the final tally ended up being, New York’s vote was pivotal in the outcome.
It is unsurprising that the Jets took Philadelphia’s side. With Justin Fields at quarterback, they are a team that will benefit from the tush push’s survival. Fields, who is one of the best rushing quarterbacks in the NFL, has converted 11 of 12 (91.7%) tush push attempts in his career, per ESPN.
Fields’ short-yardage prowess will help a Jets team that has struggled mightily to convert in those situations. In his career, Fields has converted 29 of 36 rush attempts on third or fourth down with ≤1 yard to go. That’s an 80.6% conversion rate, better than the league average of 73.1% over that span. In 2024, the Jets ranked 24th with a 68.2% conversion rate.
While Fields likely would have continued having short-yardage success without the tush push, the Jets are happy to see it remain. It’s just one more advantage of having Fields under center. For a team that has lacked many offensive advantages throughout its history, they will take everything they can get.
