After a tumultuous 2015 season in Philadelphia, the Eagles fired former head coach Chip Kelly. Someone obviously on board with that decision is ex-running back and NFL Network analyst, Maurice Jones-Drew.
When reporters with TMZ Sports caught up with Jones-Drew, the running back did not hold back on his opinion when asked about what he thinks of Kelly as the new coach of the San Francisco 49ers.
“He destroyed the Eagles. His offense is a gimmick,” Jones-Drew said. “Gimmicks work for a year or two in the league and then defenses figure it out.”
“You have to go to real football, which is lining up in a formation. That no huddle stuff doesn’t work. It wears your defense out.”
Certain defenders last year claimed that quarterback Colin Kaepernick was about as easy to read as a book. If Jones-Drew is correct about Kelly, the 49ers could be in for another long season.
The reporter pushed further with MJD asking what he thought about the 49ers not drafting a quarterback in early rounds. Jones-Drew didn’t seem to believe that San Francisco is attempting to “tank” this year in order to select a quarterback in the next draft. This might be contrary to what fans believe, however.
Jones-Drew was excited about the 49ers draft as a whole, though he pretty much warned fans that Kelly means doom.
Despite his critique of the 49ers, Jones-Drew admitted that he is actually a Raiders fan and told TMZ that it “sucks” to be a 49ers fan.
Perhaps if Jones-Drew and Kelly actually ever get together face-to-face, MJD can tell Kelly what he really thinks of his coaching skills.
Jones-Drew was originally selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round of the 2006 draft. He spent eight seasons there before playing one final season with his Raiders in 2014. MJD retired from the NFL in 2015 and is an All-Pro and three-time Pro-Bowler.