Lane Johnson Refers to Former Coach Chip Kelly as a “Dictator”

Eagles offensive lineman Lane Johnson doesn’t hold back when he speaks with the media. It got him into some trouble last month when he ripped Eagles fans while talking with a reporter. So when he was asked to give his opinion on his now-former head coach Chip Kelly—who got fired earlier this week—he wasn’t shy about expressing it. He even went as far as to refer to Kelly as a “dictator” while discussing why Kelly’s tenure in Philadelphia was ultimately unsuccessful.

“Maybe the ego got in the way,” he said. “Too much power. Control. Not being human about things; not working together, with the team, instead of being a dictator.”

Johnson did give Kelly some credit by calling him a “brilliant coach” at one point, but according to him, his unwillingness to change his approach to everything from practicing to communicating with players was his undoing.

“It’s a learning process,” Johnson said. “Making the transition from college to the NFL is tough. It’s different. If you’re set in your ways, maybe close-minded, not willing to change, it’s going to rub people the wrong way.”

It clearly did rub a lot of people the wrong way, and it’s why Kelly is no longer the coach of the Eagles.

Leave a Comment