Eagles Player Leaves Team (for Now) After Racial Slur

The NFL's latest player trouble has resulted in Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper taking a leave of absence from the team after he was caught on video using the n-word, reports ESPN. "The best thing for me, and for the team, is to step away for a period of time," says Cooper. The team says it has fined him an unspecified but substantial amount but says it has no plans to cut Cooper. He promises to go through counseling and take the time he needs to "reflect" on the situation.

Whether he will be welcomed back by his teammates is another question, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I think there's still an elephant in the room," cornerback Cary Williams tells the newspaper. "It's great to have a conversation about it, but you got to have the guys that have an issue come out and say something about the situation," and that hasn't happened yet. Cooper's slur took place at a Kenny Chesney concert, when he said, "I'll jump that fence and fight every (n-word) here." The Huffington Post has a link to the video. (More Riley Cooper stories.)