Chip Kelly releases first statement since getting fired by Eagles
Chip Kelly regrets not winning a Super Bowl for Philadelphia.
Chip Kelly has kept relatively quiet since Tuesday night when he was surprisingly fired by the Eagles with five days left in the season. Kelly finally broke his silence on Wednesday, though, by releasing a statement where he expressed his regrets for not winning a title in Philadelphia.
"I'm grateful to Jeffrey Lurie for allowing me to coach his Philadelphia Eagles for the past three seasons," Kelly said in the statement. "I deeply regret that we did not bring this great city and its fans the championship they deserve. I was blessed to work with a gifted and hard-working coaching staff every day, and they will succeed wherever they go."
One of Kelly's former assistants, offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, will handle the head-coaching duties for Philly's regular-season finale on Sunday against the Giants.
Back to Kelly, though. The former Eagles coach also thanked his players, which might come as a surprise to anyone who thought that Kelly had lost the Eagles locker room.
"My players mean the world to me," Kelly said. "I will miss them very much and I will be rooting for them to achieve their dreams. Life is all about responding to challenges and seizing opportunities."
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, who made the decision to fire Kelly, held a press conference a few hours before Kelly released his statement. During that press conference, Lurie explained that he let Kelly go because he made too many bold moves that just didn't pan out.
It's not clear what's next for Kelly, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him end up with Tennessee, Cleveland or Indianapolis. Kelly will likely be a top candidate for almost any NFL job that opens up.
As for going back to college, don't look for that to happen. In a short interview with Fox Sports after he was let go, Kelly did say that he wants to "remain in the NFL."
