Riley Cooper made a big impact on the field in his return to Philadelphia Eagles practice Tuesday. And it sounds like he's there to stay.
Coach Chip Kelly said Cooper will play in the Eagles' preseason opener if the wide receiver stays healthy all week. Those comments came after Cooper caught three vertical passes during a joint practice with the New England Patriots, a session that NFL.com's Albert Breer says possibly was Cooper's best of the year. Michael Vick gave Cooper a hug after one of the big grabs.
Cooper left the Eagles for four days after a video surfaced of him making a racially insensitive remark at a Kenny Chesney concert.
Cooper's return to the team came faster than expected, but Kelly said the timetable was left up to the professionals.
"Our guys are definitely over it," wide receiver Jason Avant said, via Field Yates of ESPNBoston.com.
Avant has been in Cooper's corner all along. Kelly said players have been "fantastic" with feedback, and they will continue to listen. It will be interesting to hear what LeSean McCoy and the rest of the Eagles have to say this week.
Either way, the message from Kelly and Avant is clear: Cooper is back, and he's not going anywhere. Even if no one will forget what he said.
"It's going to be tough, no doubt it's going to be tough," Cooper said. "I'm going to live with this every day for the rest of my life."
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