USA TODAY International Edition
McCoy: No need to greet Kelly
Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly said he would like to shake the hand of Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy, whom he traded in the offseason, before the teams face off Sunday. Don’t expect it to happen. “Chip can’t shake ( expletive). At all — nothing,” McCoy said Wednesday after practice in Orchard Park, N. Y. “He knows this. That’s why he said it. I know him. He’s very intelligent. I can read between the lines.
“Like I said: I have nothing against him, no hatred. We’re not enemies. There’s nothing for us to talk about, at all. It’s as simple as that.”
McCoy, who is the Eagles’ alltime leading rusher, was traded to the Bills in March for linebacker Kiko Alonso and hasn’t been shy about expressing his thoughts on Kelly, his time in Philadelphia and the Eagles. Sunday’s game marks McCoy’s first game at Lincoln Financial Field as a member of the Bills, a situation he said would be weird.
McCoy was quick to point out he doesn’t hold animosity toward his former team. When it came to Kelly, however, McCoy said he didn’t feel a close tie.
“We’ve got nothing to shake hands for,” McCoy said in a conference call with Philadelphia media. “Some of the dudes, some of the players there, I’ll shake their hands. Probably going to talk to ( Eagles owner Jeffrey) Lurie a little bit, a couple of different coaches. A lot of players
over there I’m still tight with. I’m going to give ( Eagles running backs coach) Duce ( Staley) a big hug. But that’s pretty much it.”
McCoy made headlines in May when he insinuated in an ESPN The Magazine profile that Kelly had racial motivations for his departure from Philadelphia.
“You see how fast he got rid of all the good players,” McCoy said in the story. “Especially all the good black players. He got rid of them the fastest. That’s the truth.”
The Eagles, meanwhile, are bracing for a motivated and focused McCoy. Players and coaches alike were quick to recall memories of his time in Philadelphia. But more than anything, they stressed that the focus is on Sunday’s game, which carries playoff implications for both teams.
“Shady is on top of it right now,” Eagles defensive coordinator Bill Davis said. “He’s playing the best we’ve seen him play. He’s peaking right now, like he does a lot of times. Always in November and December, you see him be at his best. Looks like he’s in great shape. He’s seeing the ball a lot. He’s being Shady. He’s making cuts and stopping on a dime, changing direction and making plays when they aren’t there.”
McCoy spent six seasons in Philadelphia, where he ran for 6,792 yards and 44 touchdowns while adding 2,282 yards and 10 scores receiving.
“You move on,” Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said Tuesday when asked his reaction on the day of the trade. “He was an outstanding player here for a very long time. I like LeSean. I wish him the best, because I genuinely liked him.”
Added offensive tackle Lane Johnson: “I was good friends with Shady. I think he’s a good dude. He plays hard. Every time I saw him in here, he was playing hard. I’ve got a lot of respect for him. I’m sure he’s going to be really fired up.
“It’s going to be weird watching our guys tackling him. It’s going to be different.”
“We’re not enemies. There’s nothing for us to talk about, at all. It’s as simple as that.”
LeSean McCoy, on Chip Kelly