DeMarco Murray's high-altitude chat with Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie didn't trigger Chip Kelly's Tuesday firing.
That's what Lurie told reporters on Wednesday, announcing: "DeMarco Murray had zero to do with it. I talk to a lot of players on the airplane."
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport tweeted Tuesday that Murray, the team's openly disgruntled running back, informed Lurie weeks ago that he had zero confidence in Kelly as a coach.
Lurie was impressive during Wednesday's meeting with the media, wishing Kelly well, but also making it clear that his next coach will be an entirely different type of leader.
The Eagles owner called for a coach who "values emotional intelligence," and one who could "open (his) heart to players and everyone you want to achieve peak performance."
Lurie is known around the league as an owner who values everyone inside the building, taking time to meet with players and coaches alike. Murray's words carried weight, but he wasn't the only one to question Kelly's ability to communicate and listen.
Those qualities are bound to be at the core of Lurie's next hire.
