Buffalo Bills

Chip Kelly downplays DeMarco Murray's lack of touches

Published Dec. 17, 2015 2:00 p.m. ET

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Chip Kelly quashed any notion that he has any concern over the rapidly decreasing amount of touches DeMarco Murray has been receiving in recent games, arguing victories above all else is what matters.

“I’ve never been concerned with making an individual happy,” Kelly said via NJ.com. “It’s all about winning football games. That’s all it’s ever been about.”

Given that the 6-7 Eagles remain in contention in the awful NFC East after posting consecutive victories, Kelly might be right.

The Eagles brought in Murray in the offseason on a five-year, $42 million contract. The season has been nothing short of a major disappointment, with Murray's on-field productivity drastically down.

Making matters worse, Murray’s playing time has been diminishing noticeably in recent weeks. He was on the field for only 14 snaps two weeks ago against the New England Patriots. He did manage to get of the field for 26 plays in a victory over the Buffalo Bills last Sunday.

But that’s not the productivity anyone envisioned out of Murray with the Eagles. Perhaps it was shortsighted of the team to believe Murray’s running style meshed well with Kelly’s mad-scientist offense, but what’s done is done.

And that’s not even taking into account how ugly the situation is starting to get off the field. Murray recently engaged in a conversation with Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie on a team flight, something he mostly refused to comment on when asked.

And then there’s the rumors he’s trying to orchestrate his way out of Philadelphia to set up a return to the Dallas Cowboys.

Kelly has been anything but accommodating to star players during his tenure with the Eagles, jettisoning several of them, including DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy (albeit probably not for the reasons McCoy suggested).

Given that the running back may be an Eagle for the foreseeable future, perhaps both Murray and Kelly should try to make the best of it. But it certainly doesn’t seem like that's the way it is headed.

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