Instead of catching passes for the Philadelphia Eagles, Riley Cooper has left his teammates and his day job to receive counseling.
It's unclear if or when he'll return to the field after he was caught on tape making a racially insensitive comment at a Kenny Chesney concert in June. Public reaction to Cooper's actions have been strong, understandably so, with many calling for the receiver to be released from the team.
Peter King of TheMMQB.com doesn't see that happening. In this week's "Monday Morning Quarterback," King reported that Eagles coach Chip Kelly reached out to former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy over the weekend for his advice on how to proceed with Cooper.
"I told him to trust his instincts," Dungy told King on Sunday night. "He can use this as a teaching moment, and his decision could pull this team together."
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It's not the first time Kelly has sought Dungy's counsel.
He did the same at Oregon back in 2009, when running back LeGarrette Blount punched a Boise State player in a postgame altercation. Instead of washing his hands of Blount, Kelly established an avenue for the running back -- now a member of the New England Patriots -- to rejoin the team if he followed a strict set of guidelines. Throughout the process, Kelly and Dungy were in contact.
"Chip could have kicked Blount to the curb," Dungy told King. "He chose to believe in him. And it worked out. With Riley Cooper, this kid made a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes. The big issue, too, is the alcohol. That has to be dealt with. But Chip will make the right decision. He doesn't care what the popular opinion is. He cares about what's right."
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