UCLA Football: Mike Florio Reveals Chip Kelly Is Actively Inquiring About NFL Opportunities
UCLA head coach Chip Kelly has come up on reports regarding a possible return to the NFL. It's unsure whether those reports had any traction, but according to Pro Football.com's Mike Florio, Kelly is doing all he can to get back into the NFL scene.
Florio says it's Kelly doing all he can to make a return to the NFL and not the other way around.
"The clumsy attempt at subtlety by Kelly’s camp is almost comical. It’s clear he wants back in. And it’s obvious he’s the one pursuing the opportunities, not vice-versa. Otherwise, reports like Fowler’s would be stronger than they are, as it relates to the desire by the teams in question to pursue and hire Kelly."
(per Mike Florio via NBC Sports)
Kelly was reportedly tied to several offensive coordinator positions by multiple head-coaching candidates this off-season. However, as coaches and coordinators got hired, Kelly remained at UCLA.
Kelly has been at the helm at UCLA since 2018. He holds a 35-34 record and has failed to take the Bruins to new heights. Before his time at UCLA, Kelly spent four seasons as an NFL coach. He has stints as the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers' head coach.
UCLA is heading to new beginnings. They will enter a more challenging conference, the Big 10 conference. Kelly was unable to propel UCLA into a National Championship in the Pac-12, and the chances of him doing it in the Big 10 seem dim.
A change of scenery may be the right thing to do. For now, the 60-year-old coach will remain in Westwood. However, I'm sure once that phone rings from an NFL team, Kelly will be out the door.