The Sports Xchange

The Philadelphia Eagles and coach Chip Kelly cut ties with Pro Bowl guard Evan Mathis after 15 months of a contract dispute.

Mathis, 33, had been absent from organized team activities as he sought an upgrade to his five-year, $25 million contract he signed in 2012. He was due to make $5.5 million this year and $6 million in 2016.

The Eagles are scheduled to hold three days of mandatory training camp next week. Mathis could have been fined if he failed to report for those workouts that start Tuesday.

Last year, the Eagles gave Mathis and agent Drew Rosenhaus permission to find another team willing to trade for the player. Mathis received the same permission this year, but Kelly decided to part ways Thursday.

The team hasn’t made an official announcement, but Mathis tweeted a farewell to Philadelphia shortly after the news broke.

“Thanks for the memories Philly,” Mathis wrote Thursday.

Mathis later told the Philadelphia Inquirer how he got the news from Kelly. He said he was heading to a workout in Arizona on Thursday afternoon when his phone rang.

“We’re going to release you so you can see if you can get what you want,” is how Mathis recalled what Kelly said to him.

Mathis said he was surprised by the call and had made flight arrangements to attend next week’s mandatory minicamp, after sitting out optional OTAs.

“Are you sure that’s what you want?” Mathis said he asked Kelly. “He was cordial and said nice things.”

Mathis, a third-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2005, had played the past four seasons in Philadelphia. He missed seven games last season with a sprained MCL but was still picked to the Pro Bowl for the second straight year.