Kenneth Gainwell reprimanded by Eagles for bizarre social media interaction
Sep 10, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell (14) prepares during the warm-up period before a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
The Philadelphia Eagles had to have a talk with running back Kenneth Gainwell over a bizarre social media move he made at halftime of Sunday’s game.
An Eagles fan posted a screenshot that appeared to depict Gainwell responding to a fan’s critical direct message at halftime of the Eagles’ 38-31 win over the Washington Commanders in Week 8. Gainwell had lost a key fumble in the first half, prompting a social media troll to message him and tell him to “hold on to the football you f—ing bum.” Gainwell inexplicably replied with the message “Lil (sic) boy don’t text me.”
Nick Sirianni says the #Eagles spoke to Kenny Gainwell about this interaction with a fan at halftime of the WSH game: pic.twitter.com/qOA4oCo1fW
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) October 30, 2023
On Monday, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni confirmed that the interaction was genuine, and that the team had spoken to Gainwell about it.
Nick Sirianni says the team did speak with Kenny Gainwell regarding him DMing back an Eagles fan critiquing him on IG during the game: “We definitely had a conversation with him. We do have some time at halftime, and he knows he made a mistake. We just reminded him to ignore the… pic.twitter.com/7mpSryG9su
— Eagles Nation (@PHLEaglesNation) October 30, 2023
“We definitely had a conversation with him. We do have some time at halftime, and he knows he made a mistake,” Sirianni said. “We just reminded him to ignore the outside noise. He knows he made a mistake.”
This is a pretty terrible look for Gainwell. The NFL has a very strict policy against players using electronic devices during games, so he can probably expect a fine. Even beyond that, checking one’s phone at halftime and responding to a social media troll definitely suggests that Gainwell’s head was not in the right place at that point.
Gainwell wound up with five catches for 30 yards, but had just two carries overall in the game. The Eagles came back to win, but D’Andre Swift was their clear No. 1 running back.