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Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach Chip Kelly has officially released holdout guard Evan Mathis. This release ends weeks of discussion about Mathis’ contract dispute and removes a growing distraction from the team. But most importantly, Kelly’s release of Mathis shows just how far Kelly will go, and how committed he is, to building this team in his image.
For weeks now, the Eagles were locked in this back-and-forth situation with Mathis over a contract adjustment that was offered to him by former general manager Howie Roseman. But Mathis declined the offer and apparently was trying to get that offer back. The problem was, when Kelly took over Roseman’s duties, that deal was taken off the table. In reality everyone knew the Eagles had all the leverage, and ultimately Mathis would have no choice but to show up and play. And that was the outcome I think everyone was assuming would happen, but clearly Kelly thought otherwise.
It’s important to keep in mind that this isn’t a move done out of spite, or a move made despite knowing there was a better outcome possible. Kelly is a coach who isn’t afraid to make the bold, unconventional, or unpopular move if he believes it makes the team better. And while Mathis may have been the Eagles’ best guard his sour attitude had already started to take the focus away from the field. In Kelly’s world all that matters is football, and when players start having to address a missing player in interviews it’s not all that surprising that Mathis is gone.
The message Kelly is sending isn’t that if players think they deserve more money, they’re gone. Mathis could have handled this behind the scenes and continued to work, but he chose the more publicized way to handle it. And that, I think, is the ultimate reason he’s now a free agent.
Looking forward I still think the Eagles are going to try to add another piece or two to the offensive line. Maybe a player like Mychal Kendricks or Brandon Boykin will get traded for a lineman, or perhaps they will look for a free agent like they tried to do with Chris Chester. Whoever it is that gets brought in, they better have their eyes on the prize and their heads in the game. The guy they’ll be replacing didn’t do that, and now he’s learning that lesson on the waiver wire.
Doug Green is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com covering the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL. Follow him on Twitter @DGreenNFL.
