Chip Kelly denies that he had any tension with DeSean Jackson before releasing him. Nope, it was purely "football reasons" that led to his waiver.

Jackson's new coach Jay Gruden probably can't say that, anymore.

This morning, during his show on ESPN Radio 980, Gruden was asked if DeSean was likely to play despite his shoulder injury. Here's his reply:

"I think he’s going to be a game day type deal. He wants to go really bad obviously, he’s going back to Philly, but if he’s not 100%, if he’s 60-70%, he’s really not that [much] good to us. {laughter} He’ s already 160 pounds. If he’s only ….{laughter} He’s already a very terrible blocker. "

They talked about other receiving options, and Gruden came back to the subject, backtracking a bit.

"I think he wants to play. He’s a tough guy. He’s allowed to wear shoulder pads so he might be alright. … There’s no substitute for DeSean’s speed, and we have to try to find a way to get him out there."

The clip is at 7:51 on this clip. Check it out. I wouldn't have believed it either.

No word yet on Jackson's reaction. This should be interesting.

H\T to @HunterLoganX of the Hogs Haven website for finding this clip.