Granted, the Kelly era was always weird: surprising, sometimes exhilarating, often shocking, always fascinating as a grand football experiment. But in the end it got Moby Dick weird, burn-the-documents weird, mad-general-ordering-a-bayonet-charge-at-the-cannons weird.
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie stepped in and fired Kelly on Tuesday night before things could get any weirder. “We appreciate all the contributions that Chip Kelly made and wish him every success going forward,” said Lurie in a brief press release. The Eagles announced that offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur will serve as interim head coach while front-office stalwart Tom Donahoe will take over as senior director of player personnel until the smoke clears and the damage is assessed.