Questions Continue To Surround DeMarco Murray
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- As the Eagles get ready for a reunion with LeSean McCoy, their current starting running back is at the center of controversy.
DeMarco Murray watched from the sidelines in the second half last Sunday as the Eagles pulled off a shocking upset in New England. A report surfaced on Monday that Murray went to talk to Owner Jeffrey Lurie about his role with the team. Chip Kelly said Murray did not go out of his way to seek out Lurie. It was simply a matter of a seating situation on the plane home from New England.
"He sat next to Mr. Lurie on the plane on the ride home," said Kelly. "They were both sitting in first class and talked about the game and what happened with it, and then I've talked to DeMarco since then."
Kelly's conversation with Murray was about the running back's reduced role last Sunday. Kelly admitted Murray was frustrated about getting less carries against the Patriots, but Kelly understands it has more to do with Murray's competitiveness and less to do with selfishness.
"He's frustrated because he didn't get the ball a lot on Sunday," Kelly said. "Most running backs are frustrated from that aspect, but he's not frustrated that we beat the New England Patriots and we had a big win in New England."
Murray usually speaks to the media on Thursdays, so he has yet to comment on his situation since returning from New England. Meanwhile, the coaching staff is not revealing how Murray will be used in Sunday's game against Buffalo. Quarterback Sam Bradford insists there are no issues with Murray and his teammates in the locker room.
"I've known DeMarco for a long time," said Bradford. "He's a competitor in every sense of the word. I think he wants to be on the field. He wants to feel like he's contributing. He wants to touch the ball, so I think when that doesn't happen, he gets disappointed. At the same time, he's a great teammate."
As questions continue to surround Murray, the Eagles could be getting one of Murray's teammates back in their backfield on Sunday. Running Back Ryan Mathews has been cleared after going through the NFL's concussion protocol. Mathews was running well before his injury, and Kelly would love to see Mathews get his share of carries on Sunday.
"He may be the most explosive one we have there," Kelly said. "He has got that kind of extra gear, I think, than all of those guys. I think that that helps, but we also know you can't saddle him up and go with him because he has been out for an extended period of time, and we're easing him back into where he is. Any time you can get a player like Ryan back, I think it should help us on the offensive side of the ball."
