May 08, 2024
Kim Klement Neitzel/USA Today Sports
Eagles running back Kenny Gainwell during the team's Wild Card round playoff loss to the Buccaneers.
With OTAs beginning later this month at the NovaCare Complex, Philadelphia had seemingly turned its eye from the 2023 Eagles' disappointing end to the potential of the 2024 campaign. That may have been the case until Birds running back Kenny Gainwell discussed why the Eagles' crashed so hard following their 10-1 start last season.
Speaking on the Javien University podcast earlier this month, as clips of the episode made rounds on social media this week, Gainwell blamed the team's connection. Here's an excerpt from the interview:
Kenny Gainwell talks about last season’s collapse, saying the issue was “connection.”
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) May 7, 2024
Kenny G lists the Chiefs as an example of an organization that was connected. pic.twitter.com/mvZr4jlkC7
Host: What do you think it was that caused that sudden change?
Gainwell: I think it was a connection piece. Teams like the Chiefs are well-connected, upstairs and downstairs. Front office and the locker room. Everybody's connected. When you have a connection, everything just clicks. But when you got guys that aren’t talking to each other, you never know what’s going on...
Gainwell, who enters the 2024 season as the Eagles' backup running back to Saquon Barkley, is pretty vague as to what was going on behind the scenes, but it's clear something was. Was there a disconnect between Howie Roseman and the front office and then the coaching staff? Front office and the players? The Chiefs are, apparently, an organization that handles this all better.
The Eagles can't be happy that Gainwell, who totaled three rushing yards on four carries in the Eagles' playoff loss to Tampa Bay, spoke out of turn just as everyone had put the bitter end of last season almost out of sight.
The full podcast episode can be viewed here:
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