Eagles running back DeMarco Murray has been reportedly unhappy since arriving in Philadelphia, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he wasn't with the Eagles next season, according to Rob Guerrera, producer of Pro Football Talk.
Murray reportedly met with Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie this past week to address frustrations with his role in head coach Chip Kelly's offensive scheme, according to ESPN's Ed Werder. Murray is no longer the Eagles' lead running back, and Kelly will continue to feed the hot hand down the stretch of this season.
"I think everything changes on a weekly basis," said Kelly, via NJ.com. "Depending on who we're matched up with. Who's healthy has a lot to do with it. How does Ryan (Mathews) fit into it when he gets back? It's a good problem to have that when you used all three of them, all three of them were productive for you."
The Eagles signed Murray to a five-year $40 million contract this offseason, but it's not impossible to think Philadelphia could cut the former NFL rushing champion. Murray is owed a fully guaranteed base salary of $7 million next season, and the only way Philadelphia can avoid that payment is by cutting him now and having someone claim him on waivers. The question will be if any team is willing to pick up his hefty contract given his poor play this season. From the Eagles perspective, it seems like they will keep him on board, at least so he doesn't get picked up by an NFC East rival like the Cowboys, Giants or Redskins.
Kelly has since denied the report that Murray sought out to find Lurie and that the two just talked about the game on a plane ride home from Foxboro, Mass. "That isn't what happened," said Kelly, via NJ.com. "He sat next to Mr. Lurie on the plane on the ride home. They were both in first class. They talked about the game and what happened."
Kelly said he has spoken with Murray, and that he was frustrated with his lack of carries, which is the case for most running backs. To make the situation even more complicated in Philadelphia, running back Mathews returned to practice this week after sitting out with a concussion the past three games.
The Eagles are coming off their most impressive win of the year over the New England Patriots and are tied for first place in the NFC East at 5-7. It's rare to see a team have such a problem with the amount of talented backs they have, but each of those talented backs is likely to want to see their own carries. It will be interesting to watch what happens down the stretch, as Murray, Mathews and Darren Sproles will likely share the load in Kelly's fast-paced offense. Murray could be playing his last season in Philadelphia, but that could very well depend on how he performs in the final four games of this season.
