The Philadelphia Eagles have been in the spotlight for several reasons over the last few weeks, aside from their Super Bowl victory. Not only are rival teams looking at their dominance in the trenches as a possible lesson to be learned, but some franchises Philly has gotten the best of are looking to bring about the Eagles' demise as well.
Such is the case with the recent Tush Push drama, which includes a proposal by the Green Bay Packers to ban the play. Though the Packers' attempt to put an end to this incredibly effective scheme was met with skepticism at first, it appears Green Bay's bid is gaining momentum entering this week's annual meetings in Florida.
Ahead of a vote on the matter, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is looking for support from recent members of his staff who have positions of power elsewhere.
Nick Sirianni Asks for Ex-Eagles Coaches' Help on Tush Push Vote
Siranni told NFL Network's Mike Garafolo that he expects the likes of Kellen Moore, Jonathan Gannon, and Shane Steichen to vote against the ban. Sirianni said the Tush Push has directly played a part in helping those men and other ex-Philadelphia staffers land high-level jobs around the league, so he expects that favor to be returned with their support.
This is a bold move by the Eagles coach that shows how real the threat of Philly's signature call being banned is. If he wasn't concerned, he wouldn't be making public statements directed at his former confidants and bringing up the impact he's had on their careers.
That being said, this kind of tenacity makes Sirianni one of the most respected coaches in the league, so this approach is nothing to be surprised about. The NFL is also an operation where past connections and favors come into play from hirings to roster moves involving players, so it's not as if Sirianni is out of line.
If it comes out that this trio of ex-Eagles-turned-head-coaches voted in favor of banning the play, they risk significant blowback from staffers and agents alike around the league. It'd suddenly be easy to question their loyalty to the ones who have helped them in their careers moving forward.
This kind of aggressive move could aid Philadelphia in its war, as a couple of votes very well may determine the future of the Brotherly Shove.