There may have been a few fans and pundits who were excited about Chip Kelly taking over as the San Francisco 49ers’ head coach in 2016, but that was likely a small minority.
Sure, Kelly inherited a dilapidated Niners roster in the wake of his own tumultuous tenure as Philadelphia Eagles head coach. Yet that couldn’t offset the fact that San Francisco was a horrid watch that season, ultimately finishing with a 2-14 record and Kelly’s dismissal shortly thereafter following a one-and-done campaign.
Simply put, 49ers fans would prefer to forget amost everything about that forgettable season.
Entering 2024, Kelly is back in the NFL ranks, joining now-Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll’s staff as offensive coordinator.
Two failed stints as head coach should put a full stop on any further head-coaching opportunities at the NFL level, but that’s not the direction Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema took when evaluating coordinators who could potentially ascend the ranks and become a head coach in 2026.
And that’ll surely come as a shock to both Philly and 49ers fans.
Chip Kelly is back in the head-coaching rumor mill
Kelly certainly salvaged his reputation after joining head coach Ryan Day’s staff at Ohio State, subsequently winning a College Football Playoff national championship. That said, how things went down in both Philadelphia and San Francisco still remain a big part of Kelly’s narrative.
One he’s hoping will change during his time out in Vegas.
Working with quarterback Geno Smith and tight end Brock Bowers might help, as would the addition of promising rookie running back Ashton Jeanty. And those offensive figureheads could play a vital role in getting Kelly back into the head-coaching ranks, at least according to Sikkema:
“Under Kelly’s guidance, the Buckeyes won a national championship last year, with quarterback Will Howard blossoming down the stretch. Howard earned passing grades above 80.0 in five of his final eight games, including throughout the College Football Playoff. That success propelled Kelly back to the NFL as offensive coordinator for Pete Carroll’s Raiders.
If Kelly can unlock similar production from Geno Smith and light up the scoreboard in Las Vegas, it will make headlines, and his name will once again surface in head coaching conversations.”
Interesting.
Kelly’s reputation as an up-tempo play caller remains despite adopting some more traditional aspects during his Ohio State tenure, yet the ability to navigate the challenges of being an NFL head coach (presumably with no roster control, as was opposite of what he had with the Eagles… which did not work out well) will ultimately create doubts if another team opts to take a chance on him.
It’s rare for coaches to have a third chance at becoming a head coach, particularly in light of the drama and tumult that accompanied Kelly during his Philly and San Francisco tenures.
Redemption might be in order, sure. But it’d surely be a shock to 49ers fans to see Kelly again donning the sidelines at the helm of an NFL franchise.
