PHILADELPHIA - The NFL has a way of making old ideas look brand new, and under-center football is the latest example.
What used to be a staple has turned into a talking point again, especially after a league full of shotgun looks and RPO-heavy offenses spent years leaning on zone-read concepts. Now, the classic play-fake is back in the spotlight, even though the idea itself is hardly modern.
Faking a run has been around since the forward pass, with John Heisman and Knute Rockne among the early innovators. In the NFL, George Halas and the Chicago Bears helped define the modern version when they used it to overwhelm the Washington Redskins, 73-10, in the 1940 NFL Championship Game.
That’s the backdrop for the current shift. The “Pendulum Effect” has swung the other way.
Defenses are loading up on defensive backs, shrinking the box, and living in two-high umbrella coverages while disguising what they’re doing. The aim is simple: make offenses stay patient and wait for the error.
That opens the door for teams that can force base personnel, or at least bring a safety down into the box, and then attack single-high coverage through the air.
The numbers show the trend. According to SumerSports, NFL offenses were under center 27.8% of the time in 2023, 29.2% in 2024, and then jumped to 34.1% last season. The league’s efficiency from under center followed the same path, going from slightly negative in 2023 and 2024 (-0.06 and -0.02) to positive last season at 0.01.
The Los Angeles Rams were the biggest driver of that rise. They lined up under center 57.5% of the time and finished third in under-center EPA.
Indianapolis and Buffalo also got strong results from those looks. Shane Steichen’s Colts finished first in EPA per play even though they ranked 23rd in usage, a detail that hits a little close to home for Philadelphia.
And that brings the conversation to the Eagles. They ranked 27th in under-center rate last season, but they’re expected to push that number up significantly.
The problem is personnel. The simplest way to stress defenses with under-center football is through the tight end room, and with Week 1 nearing, Philadelphia has only one proven option there: Dallas Goedert.
Beyond Goedert, the fit gets shaky fast. Trying to force Johnny Mundt, E.J. Jenkins, or rookie Eli Stowers into a Rams-style setup is a long shot.
Sean McVay, by contrast, has real depth at the position. The Rams can work with Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson, Davis Allen, and Max Klare.
That’s why under-center football in Los Angeles isn’t some grand philosophical shift. It’s a practical answer to the players McVay has on hand.
For the Eagles, that reality makes the whole discussion a little more concerning.
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