The Philadelphia Eagles are 1-3 and there is no shortage of criticism to be found for head coach Chip Kelly. Some of the latest criticism comes from former NFL head coach Brian Billick. Now serving as a broadcaster for FOX, Billick recently appeared on Daniel Jeremiah's "Move the Sticks" podcast and ranted about Kelly. Here's a transcription of the clip via Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice:
"This thing is a powder keg ready to blow up, because as you guys know, you talk to the players, I've done their games, even when they're 10-6 the last two years, the players aren't real fond of the way they do business and the way they practice. They feel like they're being treated like college players.
When you're winning 10 games, you're not going to rock the boat. But if this continues, much like the players that have gone, we're going to start hearing the chipping away from within with the players, and unfortunately it'll be under the 'anonymous' tag to begin with. But some of the things, whether it be the way they don't get a day off or the practice structure, or how they eat, they way they're micromanaged the way Chip Kelly does it, this was going to be the new way. So this starts to begin to unravel."
As Kempski notes, Billick was reportedly being considered for the Eagles' head coaching vacancy before Kelly got hired. So it's certainly possible he could have an axe to grind.
But it's interesting to hear how he has talked to players who have complained about Kelly's methods. It wouldn't be the first time we heard something like this. Last year, former Eagles cornerback Cary Williams openly complained about Kelly's methods on several occasions. Williams also said some other players in the locker room felt like he did.
In an interview with GQ from early September, former Eagles running back LeSean McCoy contrasted Kelly's methods with those of his new head coach, Rex Ryan. "[Ryan] lets you be a man." McCoy said. "He won't say, 'Be in bed at 10 o'clock,' or check your sleep. He's just like: 'Be professionals.'"
It's worth noting Billick hasn't covered an Eagles game this year, so it seems possible some of the players he's referencing could be gone, as is the case with Williams and McCoy.
Still, these are the types of reports that are going to come out when a team is losing. Kelly's Eagles are struggling and everyone is looking to pile on.