President Donald Trump advocated for the NFL to keep the tush push play as he hosted the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles at the White House on Monday afternoon.
"I hope they keep that play, Coach," Trump said, looking in the direction of Nick Sirianni. "They're talking about getting rid of that play, I understand. They should keep it ... I like it. It's sort of exciting and different."
The proposal to ban the tush push -- where a quarterback is assisted on a short-yardage sneak by being shoved by teammates lined up behind him -- was tabled at the league meetings earlier this spring. The topic is likely to be revisited when owners gather in Eagan, Minnesota, in May. The play has been enormously successful for the Eagles, who have scored 27 touchdowns and recorded 92 total first downs on it in the past three years.
"Thank you, Mr. President, for having us here. And we also appreciate the endorsement for the tush push," Sirianni said a few moments later.
A contingent of coaches, players, and executives made the trip to Washington, D.C. for the event. Running back Saquon Barkley played golf with President Trump at his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey, on Sunday, and then flew with the president to Washington on Air Force One.
"I offered him a ride on Air Force One because I was coming down and usually they say, 'No, no, I don't think so.' He said, 'I'll take it, sir.' And he loved it and we loved being together," Trump said. "He's a great, young guy and an incredible football player."
Earlier Monday, Barkley pushed back on social media criticism for spending time with Trump. He noted that he has golfed with former President Barack Obama, a Democrat.
"Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand," Barkley posted on X.
Trump said he previously told people in the New York Giants organization, including coach Brian Daboll, "not to lose Saquon" before he hit free agency.
"They lost Saquon. That was not good. I called that one. That was an easy one to call because he played damn well for the Giants, I can tell you that," Trump said.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts was among the players not in attendance. Multiple reports cited White House officials who said scheduling conflicts were the reason behind the absences of Hurts and others.
Trump called Hurts a "terrific guy and a terrific player" and lauded him for his 2024 season.
The Eagles did not go to the White House following their Super Bowl LII win over the New England Patriots in 2018. Trump canceled the event when it was learned only a small number of players planned to attend.
Led by former safety Malcolm Jenkins, the Eagles were central to a player-led movement dedicated to shining a light on social injustice, which included some players protesting during the playing of the national anthem before games. In announcing the decision to cancel the 2018 visit, Trump wrote that the Eagles disagree "with their President because he insists that they proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country."
Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie recently explained why they accepted the invitation this time around.
"We just felt this is a time-honored tradition being invited by the White House. So, there was no reticence whatsoever. To be celebrated at the White House is a good thing," he said. "There were special circumstances back then that were very different, and so this was kind of an obvious choice and look forward to it."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
