The Las Vegas Raiders hired Chip Kelly as their offensive coordinator. The former 49ers head honcho hopes his second stint in the NFL is better than his first initial one.
It’s been nearly a decade since the last time Chip Kelly patrolled the NFL sidelines. The former San Francisco 49ers head coach could not turn water (the 2016 49ers) into wine (the 2023 49ers).
Colin Kaepernick’s (and Blaine Gabbert’s) top target that season was Jeremy Kerley. Go look up the leading rushers from that season. Carlos Hyde was the definition of replacement level. Not many coaches would have been successful with that roster.
Kelly took a year off and was named head coach of the UCLA Bruins before joining the Ohio State Buckeyes. Kelly reached the peak of the mountain last season, where he helped Nick Bosa’s alma mater win a National Championship.
As of Sunday, Chip Kelly, 61, will get his second crack at the NFL. Pete Carroll and the Las Vegas Raiders hired Kelly as their offensive coordinator. Kelly and Caroll have met three times in the NFL, between their time with the Seattle Seahawks, Niners, and Philadelphia Eagles. But their relationship pre-dates the NFL. Kelly coached the Oregon Ducks in the 2000s and faced off against the USC Trojans in 2009 when Carroll was there.
Kelly made out well by jumping to the NFL. He was making $2 million in Columbus last season. Per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Kelly tripled his salary and will now make $6 million with the Raiders — nearly as much as he made as the head coach for the Bruins in 2023. Kelly is now the highest-paid coordinator on either side of the ball.
Do you think Carroll made the correct decision to bring Kelly back to the NFL? Was Kelly deserving? It’s not a stretch to say he had more talent at the skill positions at Ohio State than he will at the Raiders.