Will 'Tush Push' work without Jason Kelce? Why center Cam Jurgens is the key to the Eagles' success in 2024

The Eagles' short-yardage “tush push” has been one of the NFL's most unstoppable plays over the past few seasons. In fact, it was so good that the NFL's Competition Committee considered banning it in the offseason.

The Tush Push has survived that existential threat and is expected to remain a part of Philly's offense in 2024. The only question is whether it will continue to be as effective without center Jason Kelce.

Kelce retired after the Eagles were eliminated in the playoffs by the Buccaneers. He spent his entire 13-year career with Philadelphia and was named All-Pro in six of his final seven seasons.

And while Jalen Hurts is considered one of the (literal) driving forces behind the success of the Tush Push, Kelce's role in it may have been just as important.

Here's everything you need to know about the Tush Push and the new look it will have in 2024.

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Eagles 'Tush Push' game, explained

The Eagles' “tush push” play has emerged as one of the NFL's best short-yardage plays over the past few seasons. It was first noticed during Philadelphia's Super Bowl 57 run, but the Eagles continued to use it frequently during the 2023 NFL season, converting 37 of their 40 sneak attempts into first downs.

Philadelphia’s success in running the game was based on a number of perfect factors:

1. Jalen Hurts' incredible strength
2. It hurts to get hit from behind
3. The team's talented, athletic offensive line
4. The subtleties the Eagles have added to keep teams off balance.

Hurts' strength has often dominated conversations surrounding the game – and for good reason. Few NFL quarterbacks can lift a whopping 620 pounds.

But the Eagles' offensive line was just as important to the game's success. Their interior line – and center Jason Kelce in particular – was tasked with making a quick first step to create the small lane or space Hurts needed for the first down.

Kelce had one of the best first steps in the NFL during his playing days. He wasn't the heaviest center, but his athleticism allowed him to get out of position quickly and defend against bigger defensive tackles.

Philadelphia tended to play its tush-push game behind Kelce as he created space by pushing opposing tacklers back. Now the Eagles must test whether they can do the same without Kelce.

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Will the “Tush Push” work without Jason Kelce?

It's not clear how much, if at all, the effectiveness of the tush push will diminish without Kelce. Hurts plays a major role in the game's success, so as long as he's on the field and healthy, the Eagles should generate some movement on the quarterback sneaks.

However, the team's success rate of 92.5 percent can only be maintained if Kelce's successor, Cam Jurgens, can develop the same dynamic as his predecessor.

Jurgens started 11 games for Philadelphia in 2023, all at guard. The second-year pro posted a Pro Football Focus grade of 61.4 last season — 31st in the NFL among 79 qualifiers — but he graded better as a run blocker (64.8) than a pass blocker (51.6). That should bode well for his chances of doing well in the tush push.

It will also help that center is Jurgens' natural position. He played there during his college days at Nebraska and established himself as a promising draft prospect at the position. That's why the Eagles spent a second-round pick on him in the 2022 NFL Draft. They saw him as a potential successor to Kelce.

Jurgens also compares well to Kelce in terms of athletics. The Nebraska product achieved a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.66 before the 2022 NFL Draft. Kelce, on the other hand, achieved a score of 9.50 and both were considered small for their positions.

Jurgens' 10-yard split is particularly encouraging, as it shows that the Eagles' new starter has the reaction time and momentum needed to keep up with Kelce's speed without the ball.

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Will that translate to the field? Only time will tell if Jurgens can fill the big shoes left by Kelce's departure.

A good start would be to ensure that the tush push remains a dominant playstyle.