Sports

Eagles Player Lane Johnson Refers to Former Coach Chip Kelly as a “Dictator”

Johnson didn’t hold back while discussing Kelly.

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Complex Original

Eagles offensive lineman Lane Johnson doesn’t hold back when he speaks with the media. It got him into some trouble last month when he ripped Eagles fans while talking with a reporter. So when he was asked to give his opinion on his now-former head coach Chip Kelly—who got fired earlier this week—he wasn’t shy about expressing it. He even went as far as to refer to Kelly as a “dictator” while discussing why Kelly’s tenure in Philadelphia was ultimately unsuccessful.

“Maybe the ego got in the way,” he said. “Too much power. Control. Not being human about things; not working together, with the team, instead of being a dictator.”

Johnson did give Kelly some credit by calling him a “brilliant coach” at one point, but according to him, his unwillingness to change his approach to everything from practicing to communicating with players was his undoing.

“It’s a learning process,” Johnson said. “Making the transition from college to the NFL is tough. It’s different. If you’re set in your ways, maybe close-minded, not willing to change, it’s going to rub people the wrong way.”

It clearly did rub a lot of people the wrong way, and it's why Kelly is no longer the coach of the Eagles.

Send all complaints, compliments, and tips to sportstips@complex.com.

[via Philly.com]

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