The Philadelphia Eagles have excused Riley Cooper from all team activities so he can receive counseling. The team provided no timetable for his return.
Riley Cooper excused from all Eagles team activities to receive counseling
The fallout from Riley Cooper’s racial slur incident continues.
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The decision to separate Cooper from the team and have him undergo counseling comes two days after video surfaced of him saying, “I will jump that fence and fight every n***er here.”
For more on Cooper, visit: Bleeding Green Nation
“As we have said, Riley Cooper will be seeking counseling and we have excused him from all team activities,” the Eagles said in a statement. “This is all new territory and we are going to evaluate this timetable every step of the way. He will meet with professionals provided by the Eagles during this period of time to better help him understand how his words have hurt so many, including his teammates.”
Cooper apologized to owner Jeffrey Lurie, head coach Chip Kelly and the entire team after the video went viral and has both tweeted and issued apologies to fans. He apologized again in the Eagles’ statement announcing his time away from the team to seek counseling before going on to explain why some time away from the team is for the best.
“Right now, I think it’s important for me to take some time to reflect on this situation,” said Cooper. “The organization and my teammates have been extremely supportive, but I also realize that there are people who will have a tough time forgiving me for what I’ve done. The best thing for me, and for the team, is to step away for a period of time.”
There has been speculation that the Eagles may have to release Cooper after the incident because he is too divisive in the locker room right now. So far, Philadelphia has not indicated that it will do so, fining the wide receiver for his comments, but choosing not to suspend him.
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