Before winning the Super Bowl in February, Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni shared a key reason for his side’s defensive dominance.
During the 2024 season, the Eagles recorded the most forced fumbles in the NFL (30) – many from a play called the ‘Peanut punch’.
Philly pulled off the play twice in theNFC Championship gamealone, which helped them beat Washington and secure their spot in the Super Bowl.
Sirianni then revealed that “our video guy got me every Peanut punch that he forced a fumble with”, and the Eagles had been watching it “on a loop”.
So what is the play, and who is the “he” Sirianni referred to?
Charles Tillman – nicknamed ‘Peanut’ – is sixth on the all-time list for forced fumbles, with 44 during his 13-year NFL career, thanks to a move he invented.
A ‘Peanut punch’ is a defensive play in which the tackler attempts to knock the ball out of the attacking player’s grasp.
Tacklers normally attempt to wrap their arms around the ball carrier and bring them down.
But when a player attempts a ‘Peanut punch’, they focus on connecting with the ball and forcing it loose, giving their team a chance to regain possession.
It is a game-changing play that can swing momentum in an instant, and ensured the former Chicago Bears cornerback gained NFL immortality.
Tillman’s signature move takes its name from his nickname.
“I was only about five pounds when I was a baby, real tiny, and my Aunt Renee just said ‘oh, he looks like a little peanut’,” he told My Newspaper Sport.
“It just stuck, I could never shake it. I’m now 44 years old and nobody in my family calls me Charles, like ever.”
That tiny baby grew into a 6ft 2in (1.88m) defensive back who played college football at the University of Louisiana, where one of his coaches said that when making a tackle he should also ‘go after the ball’.
Tillman honed the technique, purposely approaching attackers at what are considered ‘bad angles’ for making a tackle, but ideal for knocking the ball loose.
He would try to sneak behind the ball carrier and attack the ball from an angle where it was not being held securely.
After becoming a second-round draft pick by the Bears in 2003, Tillman thought the ‘Peanut punch’ would be too risky in the NFL – that players would be too quick and get away from him as he lined up the play.
But he punched a ball loose on a punt return in his rookie season and gradually made a name for himself.
He added: “A year later I made a play in a game and the announcer said: ‘And Peanut Tillman with the tackle’.
“I remember thinking ‘I guess I’m mainstream now, I guess everyone knows that I’m just ‘Peanut’.”
During the 2012 season, Tillman registered 10 forced fumbles – tying the NFL record for a single season – and claimed a record four in one game against the Tennessee Titans.
He made another two after leaving Chicago in 2015 to spend his final season with the Carolina Panthers, making his second Super Bowl appearance in his final game.
In 2022, the NFL confirmed the ‘Peanut punch’ as an official in-game technique after noting “an uptick” in its use that season.
The Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia and, of course, Chicago are among the teams who have tried it the most since.
Eagles coach Sirianni said they “drilled the heck out of it” last season. Not only does the ‘Peanut punch’ stop the other team from scoring, but it can give your team an immediate chance to take advantage.
Philly pulled off a ‘Peanut punch’ three times in last season’s play-offs and each time they secured a turnover and scored on that possession.
So nine years after retiring, Tillman’s nickname and signature move are still mentioned dozens of times each season.
“It feels good,” said Tillman. “It lets me know that I’m still a part of the game.
“I will forever be known as the guy that created the ‘Peanut punch’, I perfected it, so there’s a piece of me that’s in the history of the NFL.
“I left my mark, so it’s cool having changed the game from that piece, having my own thing.”
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