Herm Edwards believes race was not a factor in the Marcus Peters trade

Count former Chiefs coach Herm Edwards among those not surprised the team will trade cornerback Marcus Peters to the Rams.

While speaking on WHB (810 AM) on Thursday, Edwards said Peters had become too much of a distraction. He was asked if there was a double standard because tight end Travis Kelce has had a history of on-field distractions as well.

“They made a statement with a star. That’s not the person. If the tight end continues to do what he’s doing, he might be gone, too,” Edwards said.

Edwards, who was the Chiefs head coach from 2006-08, added that it was wrong to say Peters was dealt because he’s black, while Kelce stayed because he’s white.

“I’m not making this a black-and-white thing,” Edwards said. “I know some people will go that way, because that’s easy to do. I’m not making this a black-and-white thing. I’m not saying they got rid of him because he’s black player. Some people want to go down that road ... and I’m not going down that road because of this: I know the Hunt family and I know their head coach.

“If anyone thinks this is a black-and-white thing, you better figure out who the Hunt family is. Think about when this organization got started, and the players that they went after, the players that were on this team at the conception of this team. They went down into the SWAC, to Grambling (State) and to those schools and drafted players of color that were on this team, so let’s not make this a black-and-white thing. We can do it, but not on my watch. You ain’t doing that.

“Don’t go down that road with the Hunt family, and don’t go down that road with Andy Reid. That’s the wrong road to travel, guys. You better look up your history before you can think about that one.”

Later in the discussion, Edwards praised the late Lamar Hunt, who founded the Chiefs, for opening doors in the NFL for black players, and for the Chiefs getting him his first job in the NFL.

But the reason for the trade, Edwards believes, is the Chiefs tired of having Peters’ actions become a talking point after a game. Edwards, who is the Arizona State football coach, added that he believed it had nothing to do with the protests during the national anthem.

Peters’ outbursts on the field did not reflect well on the Chiefs, the Hunt family, the NFL or the game of football, Edwards said.

“It’s an emotional, violent game, but within the framework of the rules, we have to make sure our emotions don’t spill over and become a distraction for the game,” he said. “That has taken place not once, not twice, numerous times.

“It’s a repeat offender. When it continues to be, then all of a sudden, then it becomes his personality, and it’s like, ‘You know what? I can do it. I can get a 15-yard penalty. Could lose the game for us, by the way, could lose the game, but it’s OK, because I’m a good player and in the Pro Bowl and it don’t matter.’ It matters, because the good players are held to a higher standard."

You can listen to the whole interview here (and if the player doesn't appear, click this link).

This story was originally published March 1, 2018 at 11:13 AM with the headline "Herm Edwards believes race was not a factor in the Marcus Peters trade."