Chip Kelly has made plenty of bold moves since taking over as the Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach in 2013. He’s parted ways with stud wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin and, most notably, running back LeSean McCoy.
Those three players all happen to be black. According to McCoy, that’s not a coincidence.
“The relationship was never really great,” the Buffalo Bills running back told ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak. “I feel like I always respected him as a coach. I think that’s the way he runs his team. He wants the full control.
“You see how fast he got rid of all the good players. Especially all the good black players. He got rid of them the fastest. That’s the truth. There’s a reason. … It’s hard to explain with him. But there’s a reason he got rid of all the black players — the good ones — like that.”
Kelly and the Eagles created a controversy in March 2014 when they released Jackson amid reports that the wideout had gang ties. Kelly later claimed the team’s decision to cut Jackson was “purely a football decision,” but McCoy insists he’s not alone in thinking race factors into Kelly’s personnel decisions.
“Oh, man. People have heard it,” McCoy said. “I mean … Stephen A. Smith has talked about it. Other players have talked about it. But that’s one of the things where you don’t even care no more. I’m on a new team, ready to play. So it’s nothing to do with Chip. I have no hatred toward him, nothing to say negative about him.
“When (Kelly) got (to Philadelphia), I didn’t know what to expect. When he let DeSean go last year, I was like: ‘C’mon. DeSean Jackson?’ So it is what it is.”
Thumbnail photo via Jeffrey G. Pittenger/USA TODAY Sports Images
