Chip Kelly’s greatest sin may wasn’t winning six games in 2015, releasing and/or trading star players like DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy, or even letting productive players like Jeremy Maclin leave town. It was ignoring the people of Philadelphia and cutting the cord on Tim Tebow at the end of training camp.
Now it’s Kelly’s cord being severed.
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Tebow had done enough in the preseason to earn a spot on the roster, outplaying Matt Barkley in limited opportunities, and at the bare minimum showing he could still make plays with his legs. Mobility isn’t something Kelly had in a quarterback since early in his rookie year when he had Michael Vick running the show. Perhaps Tebow could have given the Eagles the same spark he provided the Broncos in 2012, when he took over for Kyle Orton at 1-4 and led them to a playoff win in the Wildcard round.
Tebow completed 58.3 percent of his passes in the preseason, throwing for two touchdowns and one interception on 36 attempts. He rushed 14 times for 82 yards and a score. Barkley completed just 51.8 percent of his passes, did not throw a touchdown pass, and was picked off twice. Barkley was traded to the Cardinals at the end of the preseason, while Tebow was just released.
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Tebow’s completion percentage looked like an encouraging sign, as it was way up from his career mark of 47.9 percent. At the very least Kelly could have found gadget plays to incorporate Tebow’s skill set, using him as another battering ram to wear down defenses.
Instead, Kelly placed his faith in Bradford and Mark Sanchez, who combined for a pedestrian 21 touchdowns and 17 picks. The Eagles had the 28th-ranked passing game in the NFL, and Bradford ranked just 25th in DVOA.
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