Why is Jalen Hurts' QB sneak legal? Explaining NFL rule loophole allowing Eagles' play despite complaints

Bryan Murphy

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Why is Jalen Hurts' QB sneak legal? Explaining NFL rule loophole allowing Eagles' play despite complaints image

Call it the two-cheek sneak. Call it the tush push. Call it whatever you want.

The Eagles call it effective. 

Jalen Hurts' QB plunge has taken the NFL by storm. The play is used in one-yard situations, whether that be to get a first down or punch it in for a touchdown, and Philadelphia has enjoyed an extremely high success rate compared to other teams around the NFL. 

The play comes with some controversy, as certain clubs have complained to the league that the sneak is an illegal play. After Hurts was successful (twice) in the Eagles' 34-28 win in Week 2 over the Vikings, the critics came out in full force again.

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It was a topic discussed by Eagles center Jason Kelce and his brother, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, during their latest "New Heights" podcast episode, where the longtime Philadelphia lineman defended the play, calling into question why exactly people have a problem with it. 

"So what do (they) want to outlaw it for, just cause it's a really, really highly successful play?" Kelce said on the show. "If it's because we're really good at it, what else are you going to outlaw that other people are really good at? Are we going to outlaw Patrick Mahomes operating a two-minute drill because he's the best player in the world at it? ... Justin Tucker can't kick a ball over 50 yards, get him out of there, it's too automatic, it's not fair?

"If it's an unfair advantage, I think you would see the rest of the league doing it at 92% (success rate). But as we saw in Week 1, four other teams missed quarterback sneaks."

Kelce is right — there's no reason why other teams can't utilize the same play. However, whether it's a formation or personnel issue, for some reason, only the Eagles have been able to find sustained success with the maneuver. 

Hurts was asked about the maneuver after advancing to 3-0 with a win over the Buccaneers in Week 3, and echoed his center's statement that the Eagles are the onyl team that seems to have figured out how to pull it off. 

"I have no thoughts on it," Hurts said. "We're the only people that are doing it as well as we are. There was a guy who wanted me hurt for it, too."

One of the greatest players at the QB sneak also happens to be perhaps the greatest football player of all time — Tom Brady. The Patriots and Bucs legend consistently was able to gain the necessary yards in short situations, including near the end zone. 

Brady was asked about the Eagles' QB sneak play last season, and he had nothing but praise for the move. 

"It's a great tool to have," Brady said last season. "I like the way they're doing it, they're making it kind of like the rugby scrum a little bit, putting a lot of bodies in there which is kind of a new take on it. It will be interesting to see how defenses start to defend that."

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Make no mistake, the play is perfectly legal. Defenses just haven't come up with a way to stop Hurts and Co. Here is the NFL rule that explains why the QB sneak is allowed:

Why is Jalen Hurts' QB sneak legal?

If Hurts was around pre-2005, then the play would constantly be whistled dead for a penalty. Back then, the NFL did not allow assisting a ball carrier by pushing, pulling or carrying the runner. However, in 2005, the league lifted the ban. 

Nowadays, there are certain rules about the offensive team making contact with the ball carrier, but nothing states that it is illegal to push the carrier. 

Here is Article 4 under Section 1: Blocking, Use of Hands and Arms of Rule No. 12: Player Conduct in the 2023 NFL Rulebook, which discusses the legal and illegal actions about pushing a ball carrier:

No offensive player may:

  1. pull a runner in any direction at any time;
  2. use interlocking interference, by grasping a teammate or by using his hands or arms to encircle the body of a teammate in an effort to block an opponent; or
  3. push or throw his body against a teammate to aid him in an attempt to obstruct an opponent or to recover a loose ball.

So while there are rules against pulling a ball carrier, there is nothing that prohibits pushing that player. 

Bryan Murphy

Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.