“Tush Push kryptonite”: NFL fans reacts as Bucs sign 449-pound Desmond Watson to practice squad ahead of Eagles clash

Desmond Watson has been one of the key stories during the offseason, despite joining the NFL as an undrafted rookie. His weight of 449 pounds caught the attention of fans during the pre-draft process, and while he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he couldn't practice during training camp.

The reason was simple. The coaches from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers demanded that the defensive tackle lose weight, and did not allow him to practice until he lost a substantial amount. He was released at the 53-man roster deadline, and the franchise decided to bring him back to the practice squad.

When news of Watson signing with the team broke, NFL fans could only think about one thing. The Buccaneers' next opponent is the Philadelphia Eagles, and they believe the rookie could be used as a way to stop the Tush Push due to his large frame:

"The tush push kryptonite", said one fan.

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"Just have him lay down on his side behind the o-line in front of the goal line. Everyone else goes high, he stays low. Hurts can’t shove it through that", opined a second fan.

"449 pounds? That's not a nose tackle, that's a whole defensive line in one person", a third fan said.

Todd Bowles said in May that Buccaneers "had a plan" for Watson that didn't involve the Tush Push

Week 4 will provide the perfect platform to see if the head coach was telling the truth. Two powerhouses will collide, as the Buccaneers will play the Philadelphia Eagles, the biggest proponents of the Tush Push. The two teams are still undefeated.

Back in May, Bowles affirmed that signing the defensive tackle after the draft had nothing to do with stopping a specific play:

"We didn't get him for the tush push. We got him because we really thought he could play. We're coming up with a plan to keep (the weight loss) going. Obviously, you know, it's still a work in progress"

While plans for Desmond Watson are unclear, he certainly could be an interesting feature when the Eagles are in short-yardage situations.

About the author

Henrique Bulio is an NFL and College Football journalist at Sportskeeda and the Editor-in-Chief of Pro Football Brasil. He has a total 13 years of experience working in American Football, and playing quarterback at an amateur level in Brazil has given him a unique perspective of the game.

Henrique follows the Philadelphia Eagles closely due to Michael Vick's historic performance on MNF against the Washington Commanders in 2010. His all-time favorite player is Ed Reed; he believes that Reed is the greatest safety to ever play the game. Bill Belichick gets the nod as Henrique's favorite coach for coaching the Patriots to glory over two decades.

If Henrique were to be able to go back in time and watch one game, it would be Super Bowl XLIX, where the Patriots and the Seahawks played a complete, back-and-forth game that concluded with one of the biggest talking points in NFL history.

Technical deep dives are Henrique’s specialty, and he ensures never to use misleading words in his articles, since he himself consumes a lot of information off the web. He has had the privilege of interviewing Cairo Santos, Lamar Jackson, Jim Harbaugh, Sean McDermott, Bruce Arians, Matt LaFleur, among others.

Aside from football, Henrique likes to play poker and Counter-Strike.

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Edited by Henrique Bulio