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Kelly said releasing Jackson was "purely a football decision" and had nothing to do with an NJ.com report linking Jackson to gang members in California.
Lurie backed Kelly's decision to release Jackson and said, "It was clear [to Chip] it was not a fit."
"Chip and his people were incredibly clear that for us to get better, we needed to take a step back and re-configure the wide receiver position," Lurie said, according to the team's website.
Lurie said he gives Kelly the "benefit of the doubt."
"He knows what he wants and he knows how to get there," he said. "I really believe it's an organization that absolutely supports the direction we're going and that's the best way to be. Everyone is in it together, and I think Chip is always going to base things not just on statistics but how you're going to perform, and how you are going to perform in the playoffs."
Kelly added that the Eagles tried to trade Jackson but decided to release him after they couldn't find a trade partner at the owners meetings in Orlando, Fla.
"We were going in a different direction at the wide receiver position," Kelly said, according to the team's website. "We came back from the owners meetings and we had no takers from a trade standpoint, so we thought that it was best at that point and time to release him.
"It has nothing to do with anything that was ever written in a newspaper or any off-field behavior from him."
Kelly also denied that he had an issue with Jackson.
"DeSean was great the year I was with him. We wish him nothing but the best in terms of where he's going to be. It's a decision that we made as a team that a lot of teams make at that point and time," Kelly said, comparing the move to the Buccaneers' release of cornerback Darrelle Revis, the Bears' release of defensive end Julius Peppers and the Cowboys' decision to part ways with linebacker DeMarcus Ware.
Lurie backed Kelly's decision to release Jackson and said, "It was clear [to Chip] it was not a fit."
"Chip and his people were incredibly clear that for us to get better, we needed to take a step back and re-configure the wide receiver position," Lurie said, according to the team's website.
Lurie said he gives Kelly the "benefit of the doubt."
"He knows what he wants and he knows how to get there," he said. "I really believe it's an organization that absolutely supports the direction we're going and that's the best way to be. Everyone is in it together, and I think Chip is always going to base things not just on statistics but how you're going to perform, and how you are going to perform in the playoffs."
Kelly added that the Eagles tried to trade Jackson but decided to release him after they couldn't find a trade partner at the owners meetings in Orlando, Fla.
"We were going in a different direction at the wide receiver position," Kelly said, according to the team's website. "We came back from the owners meetings and we had no takers from a trade standpoint, so we thought that it was best at that point and time to release him.
"It has nothing to do with anything that was ever written in a newspaper or any off-field behavior from him."
Kelly also denied that he had an issue with Jackson.
"DeSean was great the year I was with him. We wish him nothing but the best in terms of where he's going to be. It's a decision that we made as a team that a lot of teams make at that point and time," Kelly said, comparing the move to the Buccaneers' release of cornerback Darrelle Revis, the Bears' release of defensive end Julius Peppers and the Cowboys' decision to part ways with linebacker DeMarcus Ware.
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