Chip Kelly: No practice for Mychal Kendricks Thursday, we'll see
Chip Kelly reiterated Thursday that inside linebacker Mychal Kendricks is "day-to-day" with the calf injury he suffered Monday night. Kelly said Kendricks will not practice today, and that he does not ask doctors and trainers for information on injures beyond whether a player can go that day.
Not sure Chip Kelly really expects us to believe he has no idea what Mychal Kendricks' calf injury entails, or how long he'll be sidelined, but that was what Kelly told reporters Thursday. Kelly said Kendricks would not practice today. It seems unlikely he will play Sunday against Washington, but we have no idea if this is a one-week or six-week injury.
Kelly said Kendricks will not practice today but remains "day-to-day." He held out the possibility that Kendricks might be able to do something Friday or Saturday.
"Can we get this out of the way? I'm never going to ask," Kelly said. "I don't care. Just tell me if they can play or they can't play. That's all I ever ask. I'm not a doctor. So, it's a Grade 32. I don't know what that means. You don't know what that means. So I don't care. I never ask those questions. There's no reason to ask those questions. Just tell me if he can play or can't play."
OK. But, wouldn't Kelly need to know if Kendricks were injured seriously enough to go on IR, or even to cause the team to contemplate signing another linebacker? And, in fact, there apparently is no such thing as a "Grade 32" calf strain. We are not doctors either, but according to this amazing thing called the Internet, calf strains are graded 1, 2, 3. A Grade 3 calf strain is a very big deal, probably months of healing, maybe even surgery. Even a Grade 2 calf strain would keep a player out at least a few weeks. If Kelly was saying Kendricks' injury falls between Grade 2 and Grade 3, that isn't great news. But maybe he was just pulling numbers out of the air to make a point.
It's a silly point. There is no NFL coach who doesn't have an idea of how long one of his starters is expected to be sidelined. Kelly just doesn't want to tell us, which is his right, but he should just come right out and say that.
Kelly said the move of first-round rookie linebacker Marcus Smith inside was dictated by the fact that there was no other linebacker to move there, but he also said Smith's athleticism makes him a viable possibility there, though Thursday is just his second day at the position. Kelly agreed that Smith is capable of covering a tight end, something Kendricks did well.
On DeSean Jackson's familiarity with the Eagles' offense, Kelly said: "It's a wash. We know DeSean. He knows us."
Kelly said the toughest thing about playing on a short week is deciding how hard to push players early in the week, when they are coming off a game. He said he hopes to be able to do more Thursday than was possible Wednesday.
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