Eagles owner on Chip Kelly criticism: 'It has been beyond ridiculous'
"I'm very proud of the way he is," owner Jeffery Lurie said of coach Chip Kelly.
By
Ryan Wilson
•
1 min read
Chip Kelly won 10 games in each of his first two seasons as the Eagles' coach, but that did little to protect him from the scrutiny he faced in recent months after he took on general-manager duties.
Not helping: insinuations by former players that Kelly's personnel decision were race-based. LeSean McCoy, who was traded from the Eagles to the Bills this offseason, has been the most outspoken -- but he's not alone. Former Eagles player Tra Thomas who served as a coaching intern with the team in 2013 and 2014, said in March that some of coach Chip Kelly's players felt like there was "a hint of racism" in the team's locker room.
Not everyone agrees with the sentiment, including ex-Eagles quarterback Michael Vick and current team owner Jeffery Lurie.
"Listen, LeSean and Tra, both really good alumni of our organization," Lurie said Friday via Philly.com. "People say things sometimes when they're, in a sense, 'rejected.' They get dejected because they're rejected and they say things. I know the way Chip is and I'm very proud of the way he is."
Lurie continued: "Some of it has been beyond ridiculous. Chip's a leader in our organization and he's held to a very, very high standard. I watch him on the field relate to players. His door is always open. I've never even seen that before. He cares about the people, the players. I'm very proud. I have complete respect for him as a person and as a coach."
After having great success in college, Kelly has proven that his uptempo offense works in the NFL. But he also wasn't burdened with personnel responsibilities in those first two seasons. Given that few coaches have done well juggling both roles (see Mike Holmgren, Joe Gibbs and Mike Shanahan, for example), it's reasonable to think that Kelly might struggle.
Lurie has no such concerns.
"He doesn't need to prove anything," Lurie said. "Builder of a roster, culture builder, he's everything we all thought when we interviewed him."
Perhaps the most amazing thing to come of all this: At no point was Lurie asked about Tim Tebow.
