The Chip Kelly era in Philadelphia is over.
The Eagles announced the shocking news Tuesday night that Kelly had been released.
“We appreciate all the contributions that Chip Kelly made and wish him every success going forward,” team CEO Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement.
Pat Shurmur will serve as interim head coach for the team’s final game Sunday against the Giants.
Kelly was in his third season as head coach of the Eagles. He led them to back-to-back 10-6 season and a playoff appearance in his first season, but the team struggled with a 6-9 record this year.
Kelly was under intense scrutiny for his busy offseason. He won a power struggle in the front office and was given control of the team personnel and made a series of surprising moves. He traded LeSean McCoy, a year after releasing top playmaker DeSean Jackson, signed DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews, and he let Jeremy Maclin go. None of his moves seemed to pay off. He also traded Nick Foles for Sam Bradford following months of speculation he would go after Marcus Mariota.
Though Kelly proved he could be a successful NFL coach with the consecutive 10-6 seasons, his hunt for power backfired when he got his way and then constructed a poor roster this year. The experiment blew up in his face and now he’s done.
What’s wild is that this news emerges the same day Cris Carter predicted it.
