LeSean McCoy on Chip Kelly: "There's a Reason He Got Rid of All The Black Players"

Stephen A. Smith mentioned how Chip Kelly’s decision-making left “a few brothers feeling uncomfortable.” Former Eagle LeSean McCoy echoed that sentiment in an ESPN the Magazine interview.

"The relationship was never really great. 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."

McCoy did not clarify what the “reason” was. He went on to obscure that he has “nothing to say negative” about Chip and the situation “is what it is.” Back in April, McCoy claimed Kelly did not respect stars without mentioning race. Some will note that Kelly replaced McCoy with another black running back DeMarco Murray. While at Oregon, he was one of the few coaches in major college athletics to embrace Olympian John Carlos.

Kelly is a controlling coach. He has a system. He has dispatched two high-profile, black skill players from said system. As Bomani Jones pointed out, the “no stars” rhetoric can take on a racial tone. However, it’s a long leap from that to pinning Kelly for making personnel decisions based on race.

[Photo via USAT]