Former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson goes off on a former head coach for destroying the team during his tenure.
The Philadelphia Eagles look like a model franchise after winning the NFC Championship last season, but former wide receiver DeSean Jackson remembers a darker time.
That would be the Chip Kelly era, an era that started with a bang against Washington in Week 1 before it all spiraled out of control. Ultimately Doug Pederson was hired, and as they say, the rest is history, including a memorable night in Minneapolis.
During Kelly's tenure, several prominent names were let go from the team, including Jackson, LeSean McCoy (via trade), and Jeremy Maclin. Yet, Riley Cooper stayed, and given his situation, it caused a lot of ire in the city of Brotherly Love. Jackson highlighted it in a recent podcast interview.
DeSean Jackson went off on Chip Kelly for his tenure as Eagles coach
Typically, when a player goes off on a coach, it could be seen as a form of sour grapes; see how Asante Samuel goes at Bill Belichick. That said, DeSean Jackson has every right to go at Chip Kelly, at least in the minds of fans of the Philadelphia Eagles. However, it wasn't like the Kelly era produced nothing.
During Kelly's tenure, several players who played an integral role in the eventual Super Bowl Championship team were drafted and acquired. Offensive tackle Lane Johnson was the first draft pick of the Kelly era and wound up being a massive success. Zach Ertz was taken in Round 2 the same year and caught the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl LII.
Buffalo Bills cornerback Jordan Poyer was also drafted that year by Philly but later found his home in Orchard Park. Trey Burton arrived as a UDFA in 2014 and had the Philly Special throw. Nick Foles had a 27-2 TD-INT ratio in 2013, so there was some good stuff.
Yet, as Jackson said, there were far too many issues within that ultimately hindered the team. Chip Kelly's style of coaching didn't work in the NFL, even with the 49ers for a year, and recently in college, it hasn't been always up to par at UCLA, a far cry from what he did at Oregon before he got the job in Philadelphia. A dark time indeed.