On a very basic level, there are 2 things you need to run the “Tush Push” — the controversial short yardage running play made famous by the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
First, you need a tough, durable quarterback. Preferably one with a little extra muscle. Then, you need an elite offensive line.
The Denver Broncos find themselves with both of those, which is why Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton thinks they should incorporate the play into their offense in 2025.
The Broncos seem to have the perfect quarterback to run it with second-year star Bo Nix and already have an elite offensive line that should only be better in 2025 than it was in 2024, when Denver made the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
“How does the Mile High Mush sound?” Moton wrote on May 30. “Well, the Denver Broncos can work on a clever name for their version of the tush push, though they have the personnel to execute in short down-and-distance situations and near the goal line … At 6’2”, 217 pounds, Nix has enough size to absorb contact and move forward in the scrums to convert on third- and fourth-and-1. Broncos head coach Sean Payton also trusts him in those situations.”
If the Tush Push does get banned today, let it be known that it is one of the greatest plays in NFL history.
A play so successful, so dominant, executed to perfection by one team that it had to be banned in order to stop it.
Hate it or love it, you watched.
Nix Helped Keep Running Game Afloat in 2025
It’s been a long time since the Broncos have had an elite running back. They haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Phillip Lindsay in 2019.
Nix kept the running game afloat at times in 2024 and was third on the team with 430 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns while he averaged 4.7 yards per carry. His 92 carries were also Top 5 in the NFL behind just Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels, Lamar Jackson and NFL MVP Josh Allen.
The Broncos may be in an even better scenario to incorporate the Tush Push in 2025 with Nix in goal line situations after drafting a potential plug-and-play starter in Central Florida’s RJ Harvey with a second round pick (No. 60 overall) in the 2025 NFL draft.
Getting Harvey the bulk of the carries in the middle of the field might set up Nix to rack up short-yardage touchdowns — like Hurts and Saquon Barkley on the Eagles. Harvey rushed for 1,577 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2024 and rushed for over 1,400 yards each of his last 2 college seasons.
Eagles Held Onto Tush Push After Controversial Vote
That the Broncos even have the option to run the Tush Push in 2025 comes after a group of NFL teams led by the Green Bay Packers, tried to get the play banned.
The NFL delivered a stunning decision on May 21 with owners voting to keep the “Tush Push” play that has proven to be almost unstoppable for the Eagles in short yardage situations.
From The Athletic’s Brooks Kubena and Dianna Russini: “The Philadelphia Eagles can still use the ‘tush push.’ On Wednesday, NFL owners voted against a proposal to ban the play. That proposal, put forth by the Green Bay Packers, was originally tabled on April 1 during the league meeting. The decision brings a conclusion to an offseason of drama during which executives, executives, coaches and players throughout the league offered their opinions on one of the most confounding and controversial plays in football history.”
