Steelers tight end Connor Heyward admits that he was never a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles’ “Tush Push.”
When all the conversation about banning the short-yardage shove kicked into high gear this offseason, Heyward wasn’t lending any support to the team at the other end of the Pa. Turnpike.
“I hated it. I’m not going to lie,” Heyward said. “But now I love it.”
Heyward’s opinion has evolved because he is the focal point of the Steelers’ version of the Tush Push. The versatile H-back plays the Jalen Hurts role in Pittsburgh’s “Spartan” play. The Michigan State alum goes under center and gets pushed from behind by whatever wall of humanity is aligned in the offensive backfield, in hopes of getting the necessary three feet or so on short yardage plays.
Previously, one of those players mashing Heyward into the offensive line was Pittsburgh’s massive tight end Darnell Washington, who recently reported his own playing weight to be 311 pounds.
With Washington now sidelined thanks to a broken arm, Heyward’s older sibling, Cameron, checks in from the defensive line as an eligible offensive player to smoosh his little brother forward whenever necessary.
So, to borrow from the original Philly-inspired nickname, it’s literally a “Brotherly Shove.”
Despite the elder Heyward being new to the play, the Steelers used it for a touchdown during their 26-24 win over the Baltimore Ravens Sunday night.
Connor Heyward sneaks in with help from his brother!
BALvsPIT on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/eKoI7mDLWC— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2026
“The first one, I was a little jumpy. I kind of tackled him,” Cam Heyward said. “He was kind of (ticked) at me. Luckily, we got a chance to redeem ourselves after that.”
According to Connor Heyward, getting that timing and the technique of the shove just right indicates that there is a little bit more intricacy and nuance to the play than people may think.
“Kind of let me get in front a little bit. It’s more of a guide. You push, but it’s more just leaning on the guy,” Heyward said.
Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has also tweaked the Spartan with a few wrinkles to catch defenses off guard.
“All of the plays off of it. Creativity. Art is getting in his bag with it,” Heyward said
The most notable example was Kenneth Gainwell’s long run in Chicago.
Steelers fake the tush push and there goes Kenneth Gainwell!
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/s2IJbkgcSY
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) November 23, 2025
Another resulted in a 29-yard gallop for Heyward against Cleveland.
“There are a lot of scenarios, things you can do out of that,” Smith said of the Spartan in November. “You always have counterpunches off of it. … It’s been a productive play for us.”
Another trend that has increased with the growing success of the Spartan is how Steelers fans have gotten into it at Acrisure Stadium. It’s not to Tush Push levels in Philadelphia, or Tom Brady QB sneak vibes in Foxborough. But you can hear a murmur and feel a palpable buzz now whenever Heyward gets behind Zach Frazier in these short-yardage situations.
“At home, you can hear the cadence. The guys, the surge. There is so much chemistry and time spent on this. So we have a lot of confidence calling it,” Heyward said.
The Spartan needs to be more than just a gimmick or a side story this week. The Houston Texans’ defense is No. 1 in yards allowed per game (277.2). When it comes to third-down defense, Houston is sixth in the NFL (36.2%), and they are seventh at fourth-down defense (47.6%).
If the Steelers are lucky enough to be in short-yardage situations against Houston’s defense, that’s a good thing — and they better convert as often as possible.
Even if it is just three feet at a time, the Steelers need to do whatever it takes to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17.
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• Madden Monday: Steelers beating Ravens will lead to Mike Tomlin ‘coaching (here) forever,’ Aaron Rodgers returning in ’26
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