The Philadelphia Eagles and head coach Chip Kelly, set to square off this weekend against NFC East division foes, the Washington Redskins, weighed in on the Washington team name change debate via some fairly pointed actions, if not necessarily through particularly pointed words. While the debate over the use of the name "Redskins" has faded somewhat since the start of NFL training camps and Washington's loss of trademarks associated with the name, upheld on appeal in July, a decision by Kelly and the Eagles organization ahead of this week's matchup has again pushed the issue to the fore.
This is interesting. The #Eagles appear to have wiped the name #Redskins from this week's weekly media guide. #NFL pic.twitter.com/VgA9ksVrbi
— Matt Lombardo (@MattLombardo975) September 30, 2015
If you look closely at the photo on the left, you'll notice that Eagles refer to both the Falcons and Jets by their team name. Washington, however, is simply referred to as...Washington.
Kelly, asked his thoughts on the name "Redskins" during Thursday's press conference, made clear that it wasn't his place to offer judgment, but also refrained from referring to Washington by their team name.
"I have a lot of personal beliefs on things, but my belief doesn't affect what that name is, so they can do what they want to do," Kelly said, per Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com.
It would be wrong to suggest that Kelly's decision not to use the term "Redskins" indicates his dislike for the name and/or Washington team owner Dan Snyder's vehement defense of it, but it also doesn't exactly constitute an endorsement.
Still, Snyder and Washington team president Bruce Allen have promised to continue to their defense of, and fight for the right to use, the name even as various Native American-rights groups have continued to both speak out against it and take legal action aimed at seeing it removed from the NFL ledger.
