Chip Kelly is making his return to the NFL, this time as an offensive coordinator.
Kelly is leaving his position as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator to take the same role with the Las Vegas Raiders, as reported by Adam Schefter and Pete Thamel of ESPN. This marks Kelly’s first stint as an offensive coordinator at the NFL level.
While Kelly’s return to the NFL isn’t entirely surprising, his destination is. There had been no prior reports linking him to the Raiders, as he was instead rumored to be a candidate for two other teams.
However, new Raiders head coach Pete Carroll was clearly looking for a high-impact hire and landed one.
Given Kelly’s salary at Ohio State, securing his services likely required a significant financial commitment.
This move marks Kelly’s third job in as many years. After stepping down as UCLA’s head coach last offseason, he took the Ohio State position and earned praise for his contributions as the Buckeyes secured a national championship.
His previous NFL experience includes head coaching tenures with the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers. Now, he takes over an offense that remains largely unsettled, particularly at quarterback, though the team has been linked to a potential Pro Bowl acquisition.
Ohio State now faces significant challenges in its coaching staff. With their defensive coordinator already departing for a conference rival, they must now find a replacement for Kelly as well.
