The Philadelphia Eagles announced beleaguered receiver Riley Cooper would return to practice on Tuesday. Cooper's return comes after the Eagles excused him from all team activities on Friday, stemming from the fall out of his racial slur video. The NFL is also investigating threats allegedly made to Cooper after the video went viral.
The Eagles announced Cooper would rejoin the team on Tuesday and participate in practice ahead of Friday's preseason game against the New England Patriots, ESPN reported.
Cooper had been excused from all team activities on Friday so he could attend counseling, mandated by the team after a video of him using a racial slur surfaced online last week. The video, which shows a seemingly intoxicated Cooper at a Kenny Chesney concert in June, sparked outrage for its content.
In the video, Cooper pointed off camera and said, "I will jump that fence and fight every n----- here, bro."
Riley quickly apologized. Quarterback Michael Vick accepted the apology, but teammate LeSean McCoy said he could no longer respect Cooper.
Aside from potentially creating a divide in the locker room, the video also earned Cooper threatening tweets from strangers.
"Riley Cooper made us aware of the tweets when the video became public," the team said in a statement on Sunday, via NY Daily News. "He told us that he did not know about the video. He informed us he blocked the tweets because he did not know the person nor understand the context of what that person was threatening. We promptly alerted NFL Security. This information potentially speaks to a legal issue that is a matter between Riley and the authorities. Our focus has been on Riley's words and actions."
Cooper's return to practice bodes well for his future in Philadelphia. It suggests he won't be immediately released.
