All-Pro wide receiver Terrell Owens left Eagles training camp Aug. 10 after a heated exchange with coach Andy Reid.
“I got sent home until Wednesday for whatever reason,” Owens told Comcast SportsNet for a TV interview from his front lawn. “It was just a difference of opinion. I was defending myself.”
Comcast SportsNet reported the disagreement occurred during a team meeting. Owens then got his belongings and cleared out of training camp at Lehigh University.
“T.O. was asked to leave by Andy Reid,” Etheredge said. “I don’t think that it was heated, it was a difference of opinion. I don’t know if there was an argument.”
Owens did not say what the argument was about.
“If the truth needs to be told, then that’s what I’ll do,” Owens said. “If he (Reid) wants me to be a man about it and have me really go on the air and really tell the people what happened, then I can. It was a difference of opinion.”
Eagles spokesman Derek Boyko had no comment. Drew Rosenhaus, Owens’ agent, did not immediately return several messages left on his phones.
Owens is unhappy the Eagles have refused to redo his contract as he enters the second season of a seven-year, $48.97 million deal. He hired Rosenhaus and threatened to skip camp completely. Instead, Owens reported, then injured his groin last Aug. 4.
He was day-to-day and the injury wasn’t considered serious, but he missed practice Aug. 10 for the fifth time in six days.
Owens worked out with the team’s assistant trainer for about 20 minutes on a separate playing field from his teammates, catching balls from a machine and doing some light running. He did not speak to reporters or acknowledge the fans who chanted his name.
Owens also skipped a scheduled autograph session with the rest of the Eagles’ receivers after practice.
“He was unable to attend because he was injured,” Etheredge said.
Owens said the fans have been great, but he didn’t sign autographs at the tent because he was rehabbing his groin. He also said he was having fun at camp, even if it didn’t look that way.