Kelly sticking with Cooper as wideout begins making amends for his slur

Chip Kelly said Thursday that Riley Cooper's spot on the team was never in jeopardy after a video surfaced showing the wide receiver screaming a racial slur during a concert in June.

The Eagles fined Cooper on Wednesday, and Kelly said he doesn't see the punishment going beyond the fine "right now." Kelly would not divulge how much Cooper was fined.

But Kelly also understood the magnitude of the situation. He acknowledged it's an issue that could divide the locker room and did not belittle the gravity of Cooper's actions.

"This isn't a situation that's going to go away tomorrow, and we certainly understand that," the Eagles coach said.

Kelly learned about what happened when Cooper came to his office Wednesday afternoon "thoroughly disgusted with himself."

Cooper apologized to Kelly and accepted full responsibility. He asked to speak with the team, which Kelly said Cooper could do before the evening walk-through. Cooper then met with owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman.

Kelly, Lurie, and Roseman convened afterward and consulted with the league office. That's when they determined to levy a fine and that Cooper needed outside counseling. They did not consult with the players before making their decision.

"We believed because of the magnitude of the situation that we had to have a swift decision in terms of what was going to happen to Riley," Kelly said.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told ESPN Radio on Thursday that the league will not take additional action.

Cooper addressed the team before Wednesday's walk-through. He called it "one of the toughest things I've ever had to do," adding that he was "extremely emotional."

Kelly asked whether anybody else had anything to say. Quarterback Michael Vick and wide receiver Jason Avant both stepped up to speak to the team.

Kelly also met with his position coaches and asked them to hold discussions in meetings. He said "X's and O's are really out the window."

"I think it's an important situation to address, and we're not going to stick our head in the sand and say, 'Hey, we have to get ready because we have the Patriots coming in here next week,'" Kelly said. "I think we encourage dialogue in our position groups, and I think if there are issues and players still have issues in position meetings, we need to set up meetings with Riley and those guys so they get to know Riley better."

Cooper went to work Thursday after the "toughest night" he's ever had, he said. He did not eat or sleep and was underweight when he arrived at the facility. He took part in all drills without incident, although he did not do much talking on the field.

"I was kind of just going about my business today," Cooper said. "It's an extremely tough day for me and a lot of other people as well. I was trying to just do my thing, and we did have practice today, so I had to really concentrate and try to do well during that."

Cooper said there was "no friction" with his teammates and that many came up to him to offer support. He also received phone calls and text messages with a similar sentiment. Of course, there were 92 players on the Eagles roster at the start of the day, and it's hard to account for an entire locker room - especially new players who have not yet spent time with Cooper.

"I think the guys that know Riley and are a little bit closer to him, I think it may be a little bit easier for them," Kelly said. "But there are also some guys who have just met him and just got here, and they're still trying to wrap their arms around it."

Cooper said he has not yet spoken to anyone who would not forgive him but also acknowledged he has only spoken to the whole team as a group. He's hoping to meet with individual players.

When asked whether he was surprised he wasn't suspended, Cooper said he did not know what would happen. The message during his meeting with Kelly, Roseman, and Lurie was that his behavior would not be tolerated, and Kelly made sure to express the disappointment on Thursday.

Kelly said he was "appalled" by what he termed a "heinous mistake," and repeatedly said he knows the situation cannot be swept under the rug.

There will be eyes on the coach as the situation continues to develop, and he must find a way to keep the locker room from fracturing and the situation from becoming toxic.

"I was actually shocked by it because since I've been here since April, that's not the Riley Cooper I know," Kelly said. "He accepted responsibility for it and he has to live with it, but I hope at some point in time we'll have a chance to move on from it. But right now I don't think it's going to be something that's going to go away very quickly."

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