Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie has backed head coach Chip Kelly's decision to part company with wide receiver DeSean Jackson.

Jackson was controversially released by the Eagles last month on the same day that a report surfaced suggesting that he had links to a Los Angeles gang, accusations that the three-time Pro Bowler denied.

However, Kelly has since insisted that the decision was made purely for football reasons, and Lurie was fully behind his coach despite losing one of his side's most productive players.

"It was clear 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 reconfigure the wide receiver position," Lurie told the team's official website.

"He knows what he wants, and he knows how to get there. 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."

Jackson has since joined the Washington Redskins and will come up against his former team on September 21 and December 20.