According to a report from Jay Glazer, the Atlanta Falcons are interested in talking to Chip Kelly about a potential offensive coordinator opening.
While most of the openings in the NFL have been filled by now with the Senior Bowl and draft season coming up, the San Francisco 49ers still haven’t filled their head coaching spot yet. The belief is that Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan will be taking the job once their season is completed, whether it’s on Sunday or after the Super Bowl. If and when Shanahan leaveas for San Francisco, the Falcons will have an opening for offensive coordinator. Could Chip Kelly be the guy to replace Shanahan?
During the NFL on FOX pregame show on Sunday, Jay Glazer reported that the Falcons were interested in talking to Kelly once their offensive coordinator spot becomes open. While Kelly hasn’t had the success at head coach that many were hoping for when he jumped to the NFL, he is still seen as someone that can build an offense.
While the Falcons are going to have other options for their spot, this isn’t the first team that Kelly has been linked to. There have been reports that the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars are also interested in bringing the former head coach into the fold. Chris Mortensen was the one that broke the news about Kelly meeting with the Patriots.
The person that ultimately ends up being the Falcons’ offensive coordinator is going to have big shoes to fill. Atlanta had an impressive offense this season that put up numbers that are going to be hard to replicate. The good news is that they will have Matt Ryan and a great offense to work with.
Despite a miserable season in San Francisco, Kelly’s offense can work if he has talent in place. Having Ryan, Devonta Freeman and Julio Jones would be a dream come true for any coach. He won’t have to worry about making personnel decisions and the duties of a head coach as an offensive coordinator and can turn his focus to putting points on the board.
Where he does indeed wind up is going to be interesting to watch. He has value in this league and one team is going to figure out where it is. If it’s with a powerhouse like the Falcons, maybe Kelly can see his goals in the NFL come to fruition.