Former NFL wide receiver Golden Tate played only eight games for the Eagles in 2018, but that short stint left a lasting negative impression.
Tate appeared on an episode of “Bussin’ with the Boys” that was released on June 2. When asked which was the “most dysfunctional” team he played for, he answered with the Eagles. Coming from the Detroit Lions via a trade, Tate said a few things about the team felt foreign to him, including an encounter between a player and a coach.
“We were making a playoff push, and an offensive lineman said ... ‘You see, this is how it should be,’ and the coach is like, ‘No (bleep), this is how it’s supposed to be. I was right last week,’” Tate said. “They’re just going back and forth. I’m on a line of scrimmage in a walkthrough like, ‘What is going on?’ and (head coach) Doug (Pederson) is just holding his little postcard with his notes with his little visor on just like, ‘Hey guys, stop it. Just calm down.’ These guys keep going at. And eventually one guy throws the ball at the other guy, and then they just run at each other and start fighting. I’m sitting on the line of scrimmage like, ‘Is this really happening? We’re trying to get to the playoffs right now.’”
Tate also criticized the locker room itself, saying the facility was “underwhelming,” and he also did not understand why the team’s indoor practice field was not a full 100 yards.
Tate mentioned that he thought the relationship between Carson Wentz and Nick Foles was frosty after Foles helped the Eagles win Super Bowl LII the previous season while Wentz was recovering from a torn ACL. In 2018, Wentz was trying to prove that he could lead the team to a Super Bowl and that the offense was still his to lead.
“That was a different dynamic, too, with Foles and Carson,” Tate said. “They tolerated each other, but you can tell they were not best buds.”
Saying he was one of the few people who connected with Wentz, Tate caught 30 passes for 278 yards and one touchdown as an Eagle before becoming a free agent and signing with the Giants.
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Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.