One of the most controversial plays in the NFL over the past few years has been the tush push. Made popular by the Philadelphia Eagles, an offseason vote to keep the play in the game inspired more teams to use the play in 2025. Mike Tomlin was asked if the Pittsburgh Steelers have considered using it.
“Yes,” Tomlin said via the Steelers’ YouTube.
When asked who would carry the ball in that situation, Tomlin declined to answer.
“I’m not gonna get into strategy,” Tomlin said. “You guys come to practice, you see what we do. You guys are trying to get me on record. Next.”
It’s probably safe to assume they aren’t going to have 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers operating the tush push to risk injury with unnecessary hits or people landing on him the wrong way. So who would the Steelers use if they decide to implement the play in short-yardage situations?
Other teams around the league have been giving the ball to their tight ends. The Steelers have four on the roster. Darnell Washington could be an interesting choice given his sheer size, but his height might work against him as he struggles to get leverage in the rugby scrum. Jonnu Smith makes a ton of sense.
Smith makes the most sense as a 6-3, 248-pound tight end that has experience playing out of the backfield. The Steelers used him at running back in training camp at times, and he had a jet sweep touchdown against the New York Jets in Week 1.
The Steelers also have a couple players with experience operating the tush push on their team.
Isaac Seumalo was with the Eagles during the early days of them starting to use the play. Kenneth Gainwell was one of the running backs that put the “push” in tush push for the past couple seasons in Philadelphia. His low center of gravity and excellent lower-body strength made him the perfect candidate to give Jalen Hurts the extra push he needed to punch the ball across the objective.
One slight issue? The Steelers’ offensive line has recently placed an emphasis on athletic players, and they don’t necessarily have the sheer mass to effectively operate the play.
Tomlin gave a one-word answer to the question. That was likely on purpose. If they have been practicing it in closed sessions, they don’t want anybody knowing or preparing for it. It’s also just as likely that Tomlin was answering the “have you thought about using it” question literally. Yes, they have thought about it. But no, they aren’t going to use it.
If they had the play ready to go, they probably would have used it on 4th and 1 last week when the Steelers were tied 14-14 in no-man’s land at the end of the 3rd quarter. Instead, he opted for a controversial punt in that situation.
If they have thought about it and plan to use it at some point, what are they waiting for?
