Chip Kelly has regularly taken criticism for his handling of the Philadelphia Eagles, and former cornerback Asante Samuel is the latest to hop on board.
Early on Friday, the four-time Pro Bowl defensive back subtweeted about someone who traded “most of the good players” to free up money and make the team mediocre.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out he’s talking about Kelly, though Samuel retweeted a question and essentially confirmed it.
You did right by trading most of the good players and making the team mediocre to free up money? Who hired this guy. Smh
— Asante Samuel Sr. (@pick_six22) December 11, 2015
Now, there’s no doubt Kelly has brought the negative attention on himself.
He traded leading rusher LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills and used that extra cap space to sign free-agent corner Byron Maxwell, who has been a complete waste of $60 million, and near-benched running back DeMarco Murray.
However, criticizing the organization for hiring Kelly in the first place is wrong. When a team’s performance drops, former players and fans start calling for the coach’s job. That’s fine for that season, but it doesn’t mean — in this case — Kelly was a wasted hire.
Philadelphia recorded a pair of 10-win seasons during the former Oregon coach’s first two years at the helm of the team. Since the Eagles are 5-7 in 2015, though, Kelly has lost the support of people who were accustomed to his winning and expected it to continue.
That’s far from a fair development, but such is the life of an NFL coach.