What is a ‘Peanut punch’ in NFL?

Nick Sirianni, the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, explained a key factor in his team’s defensive dominance before winning the Super Bowl in February.

The Eagles forced the most fumbles in the NFL in the 2024 season, many of which were caused by a play known as the “Peanut punch.”

In the NFC Championship game alone, Philly pulled off the play twice, helping them defeat Washington and advance to the Super Bowl.

The Eagles had been watching it “on a whim,” according to Sirianni, who later admitted that “our video guy got me every Peanut punch that he forced a fumble with.”

What is the play about, and who is Sirianni’s “he”?

Charles Tillman, known as “Peanut,” is sixth on the all-time list for forced fumbles after 13 years in the NFL, scoring 44 in the process.

A “Peanut punch” is a defensive play where the tackler tries to eject the ball from the attacking player’s grasp.

Tacklers typically attempt to lower the ball carrier with their arms wrapped around it.

However, when a player makes a “Peanut punch,” they concentrate on getting the ball to pass and letting loose, giving them a chance to regain possession.

Tillman’s signature move is named after his last name.

When I was a baby, my aunt Renee just said, “Oh, he looks like a little peanut,” he said to BBC Sport, “I was only about five pounds, really tiny.”

“I couldn’t shake it because it just stuck.” No one in my family refers to me as Charles, as I do now at the age of 44.

That 6-foot-2-inch defensive back developed into a 1.88-meter defensive back after one of his coaches told him to “go after the ball” when making a tackle.

Tillman developed the technique by intentionally approaching attackers at what are regarded as “bad angles” for making tackles but perfect for kicking the ball loose.

He would attempt to attack the ball from a distance that the ball was not securely positioned behind the ball carrier.

After being selected by the Bears in the second round of the NFL draft in 2003, Tillman believed that the “Peanut punch” would be too dangerous because players would run too quickly and slammed him as they lined up the play.

In his first season, he eventually established himself as a punter who threw a ball loose on a punt return.

He continued, “A year later, I made a play in a game and the announcer said, “And Peanut Tillman with the tackle.”

Tillman made 10 forced fumbles in a single season against the Tennessee Titans, breaking the NFL record for the previous season.

After leaving Chicago in 2015, he made two more as he prepared for his final season with the Carolina Panthers, making his second Super Bowl appearance.

After noting “an uptick” in its use that season, the NFL established the “Peanut punch” as a legal in-game practice in 2022.

The Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia, and, of course, Chicago are just a few of the teams that have tried it the most recently.

Sirianni, the Eagles’ coach, claimed “last season, they drilled the hell out of it.” The “Peanut punch” gives your team a chance to capitalize immediately and prevent the other team from scoring.

In the last three games of the play-offs, Philly pulled off a “Peanut punch” three times, each time resulting in a touchdown.

So, Tillman’s moniker and signature move are still mentioned dozens of times each season nine years after retiring.

Tillman remarked, “It feels good.” It indicates to me that I am still a participant in the game.

There is a part of me that has significance in NFL history because I was the man who invented the “Peanut punch,” and I did it flawlessly.

It’s cool that I left my mark and have now created my own game.

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