With former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly getting unceremoniously bounced out of the City of Brotherly Love like one of those 1970s ‘super balls’ the question now surrounding the former Birds coach is where he might possibly land next.
With Kelly reportedly going on record to say that he wants to stay in the NFL, this fun-filled, yet, in-depth look at the top six possible landing spots for the offensively-creative Kelly will both inform and entertain NFL betting fans. Okay, with that said, let’s rock and roll.
The Browns are sure to be on Kelly’s trail, but right now, I’m thinking that, unless he doesn’t have another offer on the table, the dysfunctional Cleveland Browns are the last NFL franchise Chip Kelly wants to coach. There may not be a ‘D’ in Cleveland, but there’s plenty of dysfunction!
I’m surprised that I’ve heard no mention of Kelly being Tom Coughlin’s replacement in New York, but I see no reason why it couldn’t happen. Kelly would stay in the NFC East, which he’s already very familiar with – and It would give him two chances each season to get back at Lurie and the Eagles. It could happen.
I’m not sure if Kelly would want to go to a Chargers franchise that has an aging quarterback in Philip Rivers that has just a few seasons left in what has been a pretty exemplary career. With the franchise not sure where they’ll be playing in 0216 and beyond, that could be a negative for Kelly.
San Francisco could be an ideal location for Kelly, what with its above average talent base and pair of decent quarterbacks. Kelly could be just the guy to salvage Colin Kaepernick’s career – or not! The one negative about Kelly landing in Frisco is that the Niners’ ownership is not very coach-friendly as they ran Jim Harbaugh out of town despite the fact that the current Michigan head coach turned the franchise into instant winners during his time by the Bay.
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has some of the deepest pockets in all of sports. That, combined with the fact that he’d be coaching in beautiful South Beach could be enough to entice Kelly to land in Miami. The Dolphins have plenty of talent, although I’m still on record as saying that quarterback Ryan Tannehill is not the answer!
The Titans are rumored to be one of the top places for Kelly to land, mostly because of his relationship with former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. The former Heisman winner is likely fascinated by the idea of hooking up again with the man that helped him win the Heisman Trophy award a year ago.
“Obviously we’ve had a connection through Oregon, but again my mindset isn’t on that,” Mariota said. “It’s unfortunate [about] Coach Kelly and his situation. But I am sure whatever team he ends up going to he’ll have success.
“I think he’s proven [he can be a winner] the first two years. I think this past year was tough, he probably didn’t have the season that he wanted. But to win 10 games his first two years says a lot about what he’s able to do and says a lot about his coaching.”
6. Cleveland Browns
5. New York Giants
4. San Diego Chargers
3. San Francisco 49ers
2. Miami Dolphins
1. Tennessee Titans
