Sean Payton calls out NFL for blatant Tush Push witch hunt, says health concerns were total BS

Sean Payton just said the quiet part out loud, and for once, he actually deserves credit for it.

The Eagles’ tush push has been living rent-free in the minds of NFL owners and coaches ever since Philly bullied its way to a Super Bowl with it in 2024. Last offseason, the Packers led the charge to get the play banned, citing player safety concerns as the primary reason it needed to go. That argument never really passed the smell test, but it was the one the league leaned on the hardest in public.

Now, a year later, Payton, who sits on the NFL’s competition committee, is admitting what most of us already knew.

Sean Payton calls out the safety argument

Sean Payton says if the NFL ever eliminated the “tush push” it won’t be because of health and safety. It’ll be because “we don’t like it.” He said: “Last year, we spent two hours on health and safety on the (tush push) and then added 1,000 kickoffs. … Sometimes your BS meter… pic.twitter.com/7F2tzP0hAR

— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) February 24, 2026

Shop Eagles Gear Here

Speaking on Tuesday, Sean Payton made it clear that if the NFL ever decides to ban the tush push, it won’t be because of health and safety concerns. In fact, he pointed out that the committee spent two hours last year debating the safety risks of a quarterback sneak, only to approve a rule change shortly before that would lead to roughly 1,000 more kickoff returns across the league.

Kickoffs, of course, are widely considered one of the most dangerous plays in football.

So while the league was publicly clutching its pearls over the safety of the Eagles’ short-yardage sneak, it was simultaneously adding more high-speed collision plays back into the game. That’s where Payton’s “BS meter” came into play, and honestly, he’s not wrong.

If the tush push ever goes away, Payton admitted it would likely be because some people in the league simply don’t like it. Not because it’s unsafe. Not because there’s data supporting an increased injury risk. Just because it’s not aesthetically pleasing, difficult to officiate, or doesn’t fit someone’s personal definition of what a football play should look like.

Sean Payton gives rare honesty on the Eagles’ most unstoppable play

And that’s been the truth all along.

The Eagles didn’t invent some loophole that puts players in danger. They just happen to execute a legal play better than everyone else, and the rest of the league has been scrambling to legislate it out of existence ever since. Every time the safety argument gets brought up, it’s worth remembering that the NFL has no problem expanding the regular season, scheduling Thursday night games on short rest, or — as Payton noted — increasing the number of kickoff returns.

Player safety has always been the most convenient talking point, not the real motivation.

So yeah, it’s a strange day when Sean Payton is the one cutting through the noise, but here we are. The tush push debate may not be front and center this offseason, but if it ever comes back, at least one member of the competition committee has already admitted what the league won’t say publicly.

Sometimes, they just don’t like getting bullied on third-and-one.