Tension is rising in Philadelphia. The team might be coming off a big win against the New England Patriots, but the drama created by player's comments is clouding the Week 13 success. According to ESPN's Ed Werder, DeMarco Murray is not happy with Chip Kelly and his role on the team which caused him to speak to team owner Jeffery Laurie about the situation. Now, with Kelly trying to remain quiet on the issue, Murray's future is coming into question with the team.
Murray signed on to the Eagles after leading the league in rushing with the Dallas Cowboys. He got a generous deal, but the Eagles also went out and signed Ryan Mathews to pair with the already-signed Darren Sproles. Kelly was very adamant about a running back rotation, something that has yet to work in the team's favor. Now with Murray unhappy, will changes be made either in the short-term or long-term?
According to ESPN's Phil Sheridan, Murray's attempt to go to the owner about his unhappiness will not sit well with anyone in Philadelphia. Kelly has a habit of dumping players who do not immediately buy into the system. Just ask DeSean Jackson or LeSean McCoy about it. Is Murray headed down the same path? While there is certainly no confirmation of this, ProFootballTalk.com's Mike Florio believes there is a small chance Murray could be out after this year either by Kelly's request or his own. Cutting Murray means he still gets his $7 million fully-guaranteed salary for 2016 plus incentives. It would also get rid of Kelly's headache. Trading Murray would be fairly easy since several teams would jump at the chance to get him.
For now, Kelly and Murray need to figure out how to make everyone happy. The return of Mathews will not help. The running back is practicing after sitting out with a concussion. Statistically, Mathews has been the more productive back and could warrant more carries. Sproles also made it clear that he can handle more responsibility on the field. So what does Kelly and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur do?
"We put the guys in the game that will help us win the football game," Shurmur said, via ESPN.com. "We feel good about all the guys being in there. We're going to get ready to play Buffalo. And we're going to put the guys on the field based on how they train and how we match up against Buffalo."
It is anyone's guess as to who gets the Week 14 start. Sproles started last week. Mathews could start because he is healthy. Murray could start because he complained. With the wide receiver group improving for Sam Bradford, the quarterback better hope the run game drama gets sorted out quickly.
