Speculation about Chip Kelly’s future continues to swirl, but don’t be surprised if the embattled Eagles coach ends up staying put.
While that might seem outrageous with Kelly’s team floundering at 4-7 after giving up 45 points in consecutive losses, Philadelphia owner Jeff Lurie has 13 million reasons — the amount of dollars remaining on Kelly’s contract — not to push the panic button.
One college suitor dropped off the board Monday when USC took the interim tag off Clay Helton after reportedly being spurned by Kelly and Raiders coach Jack Del Rio.
Kelly would have no shortage of prominent college landing spots if he wants them (Georgia, Miami, South Carolina and Missouri, just to name a few). But league observers don’t think it’s in his nature to cut and run at the first hint of serious trouble.
Kelly also knows scurrying back to the college ranks on a losing note and with just one playoff trip in three seasons would also kill any chance of getting another NFL job.
That’s why many in the league expect Kelly to roll up his sleeves and get back to work on fixing an Eagles mess that is almost entirely of his own creation.
Kelly, after all, won a much-publicized power struggle with general manager Howie Roseman in the offseason, then proceeded to gut a roster that was coming off consecutive 10-win seasons.
None of his biggest moves — acquiring Sam Bradford and signing DeMarcus Murray and Byron Maxwell — has worked out, but Kelly has been in tough spots before and rebounded. He started 1-3 and 3-5 two years ago before winning seven of his final eight games and the NFC East.
Lurie and Kelly also can take heart that the Eagles’ playoff hopes aren’t dead yet, and still won’t be even if they are routed by the Patriots this week. Philly can thank the embarrassingly bad NFC East — where the Redskins and Giants are tied for first at 5-6 and the 3-8 Cowboys are just two games back — for that.
It would be wildly out of character for Lurie to fire Kelly anytime soon. Lurie gave Ray Rhodes four years and stuck with Andy Reid through 14 seasons that included a lot of memorable highs but a lot of infamous lows, too. And Lurie appeared reluctant to fire Reid even after a 4-12 finish in 2012.
Where things could come to a head is total control over personnel if Kelly doesn’t turn things around in the next month. Roseman is still on the Eagles’ payroll, and Kelly might opt to quit if Lurie demands he give back some of that control after bungling it so spectacularly this year.
Lurie might also be persuaded to let Kelly go elsewhere in the league in return for compensation. NFL Network reported over the weekend the Titans are considering a run at Kelly, though with the unappetizing condition (at least to Kelly) that he give up personnel control and just coach.
However it works out, the level of palace intrigue in Philly will remain high over the coming weeks. It might end up being a lot more entertaining than the product Kelly is putting out on the field.