NFL teams doing 'due diligence' on surprising coach

Could Chip Kelly make a shocking return to the NFL? One report suggests that it is at least within the realm of possibility.

Several prospective head coach candidates have named Kelly as a potential offensive coordinator option, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. As a result, some teams have begun doing “due diligence” on Kelly as a potential hire.

Kelly being linked with an NFL return is a surprise, to say the least. For one thing, he is under contract as UCLA’s head coach and will return for the 2024 season. Kelly is making an annual salary of over $6 million at UCLA, so any NFL team that wanted him as an offensive coordinator would likely have to either completely reset the market on coordinator salaries or convince Kelly to accept a significant pay cut. Neither seems particularly likely to happen.

Kelly’s RPO-heavy style has become much more prevalent in the NFL during recent seasons. However, his first stint in the NFL went very poorly after a promising start and there are probably offensive coordinator candidates who would be far more cutting edge at this point.