Report: USC, Titans both possibilities for Chip Kelly
By Steve DelVecchio
With the way the Philadelphia Eagles have played the last several weeks, it would be a surprise if Chip Kelly is not looking for a new job in the coming months. Should he wind up parting ways with the team, Kelly will have options.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, USC has already reached out to Kelly to let him know they will be interested in him. Rumors linking Kelly to USC have been floating around for over a month. But what if he wants to stay in the NFL?
Rapoport also mentioned that the Tennessee Titans should not be ruled out. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt was fired earlier this season, and it is highly unlikely that the Titans consider interim head coach Mike Mularkey to be a long-term solution.
The appeal for Kelly in Tennessee would be obvious. He coached Marcus Mariota at Oregon and was said to be interested in trading up to draft the quarterback, though the Eagles ultimately stuck with Sam Bradford (how’s that working out so far?).
If the Eagles fire Kelly, the Titans would probably be one of very few NFL teams who would be willing to give him a shot as a head coach. Kelly would likely take the head coaching job at USC before he would accept an offensive coordinator job in the NFL, so my gut feeling is that USC is a definite possibility if he doesn’t stay in Philly.
As for Kelly’s current situation, an assistant coach said after the Thanksgiving blowout loss to the Detroit Lions that Kelly isn’t going anywhere. Despite that, it’s hard to imagine Chip sticking around in Philly after what one player’s agent said about him.
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