Eagles Running Back DeMarco Murray Meets With Team Owner Over Playing Time

In the cut throat world of the NFL, it’s almost unfathomable for a team to not make full use of their biggest offensive threat. The Philadelphia Eagles under Chip Kelly, however, are barely making use of running back DeMarco Murray. He isn’t taking his lack of playing time passively, though and met with team owner Jeffrey Lurie on the team’s flight home this Sunday.

On the surface, Murray has some grounds to be upset. Last year with the Dallas Cowboys, he was one of the best offensive players in the league; he finished the season with over 1,800 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. This year in Philly, he has 569 rushing yards in 11 games.

Murray has always thrived in a power formation; his best work comes between the tackles when the quarterback is under center. But Kelly’s offense rarely uses that set up and prefers to operate out of the shotgun. That means most of Murray’s carries are beginning further behind the line of scrimmage with less of a running start.

That frustration came to a head after Murray played 14 offensive snaps, gaining 24 yards on eight carries in the Eagles’ win over the New England Patriots. “He’s obviously upset about what happened,” a source close to Murray told ESPN.

When asked about his use of the running backs on the roster, Kelly avoided making specific commitments. “We are not trying to win a rushing championship or a passing championship or a receiving championship or anything from that stretch of the imagination,” he said. “We are just trying to win football games.”

Either way, it will be interesting to see how many touches Murray gets this weekend against the Buffalo Bills. On one hand, the running back had to know what sort of system Kelly runs, but, on the other, it’s hard to believe the Eagles wouldn’t be more successful if Murray got more touches.

Photo: DeMarco Murray #29 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs with the ball against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on December 6, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)