The Washington Commanders‘ offseason is now in full swing after naming Dan Quinn as their head coach for the 2024 season. With his appointment, the selection of his coordinators shouldn’t take long.
There are talented candidates in and around the NFL who can help Quinn take the Commanders to a better place in a cut-throat NFC East. However, there’s one name that’s caught the attention of football fans.
Chip Kelly is reportedly looking to make an NFL comeback, and a stint at the nation’s capital would be a perfect starting point for his NFL career.
UCLA’s Chip Kelly among candidates for Washington Commanders OC job
It’s an open secret that Kelly is looking for a way to get back into the NFL and has been applying for multiple OC positions to solidify his chances of making it back to the NFL.
According to theScore’s Matthew Washington, he’s become one of the leading candidates for the job:
Kelly possesses experience at the pro level after head coaching stints with the Philadelphia Eagles (2013-2015) and San Francisco 49ers (2016).
Known for his up-tempo offense, Kelly has led UCLA to a 35-34 mark since joining the program prior to the 2018 season. The Bruins have posted winning seasons the past three years, including an 8-5 mark in 2023 and a 35-22 victory over Boise State in the L.A. Bowl. UCLA is set to move to the Big Ten later this summer.
He applied for the Las Vegas Raiders OC opening before Antonio Pierce decided to give the nod to Kliff Kingsbury.
Reactions to Kelly’s NFL OC chase
Chip Kelly’s overt intentions to move to the pro game was met with the same tone by analysts who cover the sport: he’s the latest name in the sudden exodus of college coahes into the NFL.
The Spun’s Matt Hladik wrote about these reactions:
“This is only the beginning. And you may as well include Harbaugh and Saban on the list of ‘CFB Climate Change’ decisions,” said ESPN’s Matt Barrie.
“Never thought we’d see the day where multiple Power 5 head coaches would leave for NFL coordinator jobs but in this day and age of roster building via NIL, transfer portal and having to re-recruit your own players every year, I get it and think it’s only the beginning,” echoed 247Sports’ Greg Biggins.
“Looks like Chip Kelly is trying to get out of CFB also. We’re two months away from the spring portal but the portal may never fully close until then,” said DNVR Sports’ Jake Schwanitz.
It’s an interesting time for both the NFL and college football as these changes will have a ripple effect on how young players will enter the NFL in the near future.
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