It’s been nearly a decade since the Chip Kelly Era came and went in Philadelphia. It was an experiment that started off very well, but crashed and burned quickly, marred by game plans that doomed their defense, and personnel moves that left fans without answers.
Two of the most head-scratching moves Kelly made during his time as Eagles head coach were dumping DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy in back-to-back offseasons. Jackson was released in 2014, McCoy traded to Buffalo in 2015. Both moves drew outrage from Eagles fans.
The two former Eagles teammates recently started a podcast, called The 25/10 Show – McCoy and Jackson’s jersey numbers while with the Eagles.
You figured it was only a matter of time before the subject of Chip Kelly – and their mutual distaste for his personality and methods – came up. It did on Thursday in an episode entitled “The Truth About Chip Kelly.”
Both players said their personalities clashed with Kelly early on his tenure. They bristled at his “there are no starters” mantra at the start of his first mini-camp in 2013. Jackson had been to two Pro Bowls; McCoy was first-team All-Pro in 2011.
“I never had a coach who was scared – not even scared – I’ll say uncomfortable around Black players,” McCoy said about Kelly. “Let’s not hide it, right? Most of the players are black. The NFL is dominated by Black players.”
