LeSean McCoy admits he didn’t used to stay in peak shape during offseason

LeSean McCoy and Chip Kelly have a good relationship despite things starting off somewhat rocky between them. McCoy says he was close with former Eagles coach Andy Reid and needed some time to adjust to what Kelly wanted from him.

Entering year two under Kelly, McCoy says there is no tension between them. He even says that Kelly is pushing him to become a better player.

McCoy discussed his relationship with Kelly in an interview with the Philly Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. In the interview, McCoy makes it pretty clear that Kelly has taken issue with his work ethic. McCoy even admitted that prior to Kelly he didn’t work as hard in the offseason as he could have.

McCoy said he had become accustomed to not staying in peak condition in the offseason because it was easy for him to get in shape before training camp. But Kelly, he said, has challenged him to think about the long-term benefits of staying in shape year-round.

“He chases greatness for me. It can’t be he wants greatness more than I do. That’s on me,” McCoy said. “And that’s where I started to trust him. I think in the beginning it was hard to trust him, obviously because of Andy and the way he worked things. . . . But [Kelly] thinks outside the box, and everything he thinks is to better us.”

McCoy had a career-high 314 carries and 1,607 yards last season. He also rushed for nine scores and caught 52 passes for 539 yards and two more touchdowns. If that’s how he produced without keeping himself in great shape during the offseason, imagine what he might be able to do taking care of himself year-round.