Chip Kelly seems to be becoming more serious about his desire to play football again. According to Benjamin Solak of The Ringer, the UCLA coach had an interview with the Seattle Seahawks on Tuesday to fill the position of offensive coordinator. Kelly, 60, would provide incoming Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald with a seasoned playcaller who has led successful offenses in college (Oregon) and the NFL (Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers). Shane Waldron, the former offensive coordinator for Seattle, left to accept a similar role with the Chicago Bears.
Even though the experienced coach signed a contract extension with the Bruins last year that extends through the 2027 season, he has been discussed in NFL circles in recent weeks. He would undoubtedly accept a pay decrease from his $6 million annual contract at UCLA in order to accept a professional coordinator role. But based on the volume of discussion about Kelly’s desire in the NFL, it seems like he’s eager to leave collegiate football.
UCLA finished 8–5 overall and tied for sixth in the Pac-12 with a 4–5 conference record the previous season. But with the Bruins joining USC, Oregon, and Washington in the Big Ten next season, winning should be more challenging. Kelly might be motivated to pursue an NFL return by this in addition to the fact that NIL and the transfer portal are altering the collegiate football scene.
