Eagles Owner Vows to 'Resurrect' Little-Used NFL Position

Philadelphia's dedication to hard-nosed football continues.

Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie waves to the crowd next to the Vince Lombardi Trophy during the Super Bowl LIX championship parade. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While offensive football continues to get more spread out and fast-paced, the Philadelphia Eagles have found real success playing true smashmouth football.

The Eagles have perhaps the best offensive line in the game today, and of course made the quarterback sneak one of the sport's most unstoppable playes with the Tush Push. As the league continues to weigh whether or not to ban that Jalen Hurts-powered play, Philly appears to have a backup plan ready: the return of the fullback.

Lurie made his first appearance on 94WIP in 30 years to celebrate the career of Brandon Graham, as the network's morning show celebrated "Brandon Graham Day." As he signed off, he let host and former Eagles fullback Jon Ritchie know that the franchise had plans to bring back the position.

“We are going to try to resurrect the fullback position”

— Jeffrey Lurie on @SportsRadioWIP to Jon Ritchie

Sounded very serious about it. Says he believes there is a place for it in today’s game

— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) May 5, 2025

The fullback, while not totally extinct, has become a little-used facet of NFL offenses over the last decade-plus. The San Francisco 49ers (Kyle Juszczyk) and Baltimore Ravens (Patrick Ricard) are the two franchises that have famously held on to impact players at the position, utilizing them in a variety of roles.

Philly used a fullback to great affect in the 2000s and early '10s, with players like Ritchie, Leonard Weaver and Owen Schmitt opening holes for the team's running backs.

The potential Tush Push ban could be impetus for the franchise to start looking at utilizing a true fullback more in the short yardage game.

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