Riley Cooper is back with the Philadelphia Eagles, and he's headed right to the practice field, the team announced Tuesday morning.
Cooper was excused from the Eagles just four days ago to receive outside counseling. The team also fined Cooper after a video surfaced of the wide receiver making a racially insensitive comment at a Kenny Chesney concert.
Coach Chip Kelly steadfastly has indicated Cooper has a spot on the Eagles, even though the team hardly has tried to sweep his mistake under the rug. Cooper will address the issue with the media after practicing against the New England Patriots on Tuesday. Perhaps the Eagles thought that keeping him away from the squad too long would make it more difficult for Cooper to eventually re-join his teammates.
Running back LeSean McCoy told NFL.com's Albert Breer last week that he "can't respect" a teammate like Cooper anymore. Other anonymous Eagles grumbled to the Philadelphia Inquirer, and reports indicated that some teammates wanted Cooper off the team.
We don't assume anything in regard to Cooper's future. If this story proves to be a continuing distraction over the next few weeks, veterans might indicate to Kelly that Cooper is better off on the waiver wire. That would be a difficult message for Kelly to ignore.
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