For years, DeSean Jackson’s time with the Philadelphia Eagles was seen as the pinnacle of his career. However, this new Jackson saga has fans of the team looking back on those years with one eyebrow raised in surprise, as it suggests a level of “monitoring” that went well beyond play calls and practice design.

“He had a certain way he (Chip Kelly) wanted to do things, and I felt like it was more like a college setting,” Jackson told the host, Mystic Zach, in the latest episode of Doubl3 Coverage Podcast. “His philosophy, his style was great on the field, but it was just like everything he was asking us to do, petty things.” “You’re asking a five-, six-, seven-year vet (veteran) to put on a heart monitor at night just to see how many hours you’re sleeping.”

He further added, “You want to test our urine to see how hydrated we are?… For me, I’m like, man, I’m not doing that. You’re a grown a– man… I’m a grown man. He was just asking you to do things that, for me, just weren’t realistic.”

As he told the story, Jackson and the host shared a laugh, even as Jackson made it clear he didn’t like how Kelly handled that part, which made it feel like he was the “guinea pig.”

Jackson’s statements are correct, given that Julian Vandervelde, who was a backup alongside Nick Foles, Doug Pederson, and Jason Kelce, also shared similar remarks about the coach. In a 2020 interview, Vandervelde revealed that Kelly was a micromanager who had every player’s urine tested daily to monitor hydration levels, echoing what Jackson described.

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Kelly and Jackson shared their time in Philadelphia during the 2013 season. The WR’s production under head coach Kelly that year was the best statistically. He started all 16 games and became a key offensive force. He caught 82 receptions for 1,332 yards, averaging 16.2 per catch. Additionally, he scored nine touchdowns, delivering a true breakout season.

Despite his good performance, the Eagles released him in March 2014. In the same segment, he mentioned that Jackson and other players “butted heads” with Kelly over these issues, leading to the team going in a “different direction”, suggesting that Kelly’s way could be the reason for his departure from the team.

Following the departure, Jackson went on to play for the Redskins, Buccaneers, Eagles for a second stint, Rams, Raiders, and Ravens. In November 2023, he signed a one-day contract with the Eagles to retire as a member of the team, where he made the biggest impact in his career.

On the other hand, Chip Kelly’s NFL career has also reached an end. After being hired by the Las Vegas Raiders as the offensive coordinator under new head coach Pete Carroll, Kelly was let go after the team wrapped up this season 2-9. Kelly eventually moved back to the college level, taking the offensive coordinator position at Northwestern University.

The rise and fall of Chip Kelly

Chip Kelly’s story has always been about speed, control, and confidence. Early on, he made his name by spotting one weak link on defense and attacking it without mercy. He trusted his prep. By kickoff, the answers were already there. His offenses moved fast, stayed simple, and repeated what worked until defenses cracked. That approach turned Oregon into a machine and earned him an NFL shot in Philadelphia, where he flipped a 4-12 team into a division winner almost overnight.

But then the league adjusted, and Kelly didn’t.

As a result, losses followed, the locker rooms cooled, and stops in San Francisco, and later, UCLA humbled him. By the time he resurfaced as an offensive coordinator, he was different. Kelly was less rigid, more flexible, and more focused on players than plays. That mindset helped power Ohio State to a title and followed him to Las Vegas for an offensive coordinator role.

“His philosophy back in the day at Oregon as a head coach and a coordinator was [to] go as fast as you can. That evolved when he went to the NFL, and it really evolved when he went to UCLA,” sports commentator Urban Meyer said of Chip Kelly.

Still, results rule everything in the NFL. And after a rough start and another loss, the Raiders pulled the plug just 11 games in. The Raiders fired the coach, and didn’t stop at moving on from Kelly. They are currently interviewing Seattle receivers coach Frisman Jackson for the role. And as they now shift their focus to a Super Bowl run under new head coach Klint Kubiak, he’s “fired up” for the opportunity.

“You guys know I’m going to Las Vegas,” Kubiak said in a post-game interview. “I’m fired up about it,” he said before doubling down with an “Hell yeah, I’m going.”

After finishing 3–14 in 2025 and placing fourth in the AFC West, the Raiders parted ways with first-year head coach Pete Carroll and handed the keys to someone who just experienced the biggest night of his career, winning the Super Bowl. The expectations from Kubiak in Vegas will be the same.