Philadelphia, PA – June 15, 2025
Nearly a decade after the most controversial era in recent Eagles history, former Philadelphia running back LeSean McCoy isn’t holding back. In a fiery new interview, McCoy took direct aim at former Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, accusing him of “destroying a championship-caliber core for no good reason.”
McCoy, a two-time All-Pro and the franchise’s all-time leading rusher, reflected on the 2013–2015 era, when Kelly made a series of stunning moves that gutted a locker room full of stars. DeSean Jackson was cut. Jeremy Maclin was allowed to walk. And McCoy himself was traded to Buffalo in a deal that still haunts Eagles fans.
“He broke us up,” McCoy said. “We had a core in Philly that could’ve won a Super Bowl. Instead, he shipped guys out for no good reason. There was no loyalty.”
The comments have reignited long-simmering frustrations among fans, many of whom still believe the Eagles’ early 2010s roster had the talent to win it all. The dismantling of that core, many argue, delayed the franchise’s eventual triumph in Super Bowl LII under Doug Pederson.
Online, Eagles Nation is rallying behind McCoy.
“Chip cost us a ring,” one fan wrote on X. “McCoy, Jackson, Maclin — that was an elite unit.”
Others have pointed to Kelly’s failed personnel experiments — including trading for Kiko Alonso and signing underwhelming free agents — as signs he was in over his head. Though his up-tempo offense showed flashes, his tenure is now widely viewed as a cautionary tale about power-hungry coaching gone wrong.
Since stepping away from the NFL, McCoy has found a second career in media — but clearly, the wounds from Kelly’s decisions haven’t healed.
“You don’t treat people like that,” McCoy added. “Philly deserves better.”
And Philly got better. Under new leadership, the Eagles rebuilt, reestablished their identity, and captured the Lombardi Trophy in 2018. But for many — including the stars who lived through the fallout — the “what ifs” still linger.
