Analyst sees path for Raiders coordinator for head coaching job

By now, the journey of Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is well-documented.

Once seen as one of the up-and-coming coaching minds in the sport, Kelly aimed to make the transition from college football to the NFL. His tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles started positively enough, but a combination of poor roster construction and NFL defenses figuring out how to counter Kelly’s up-tempo play style lead to him getting the boot in 2015. After another rough year with the San Francisco 49ers, Kelly took a year out of football before returning to college to revitalize his coaching career.

Now back in the NFL with the Raiders, Kelly could push his name back into the conversation for head coaching jobs sooner rather than later.

One analyst thinks Kelly could make some waves in 2025 with a good season.

According to Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema, Kelly is one of the coordinators to watch during the 2025 season.

“Under Kelly’s guidance, the [Ohio State] Buckeyes won a national championship last year, with quarterback Will Howard blossoming down the stretch. Howard earned passing grades above 80.0 in five of his final eight games, including throughout the College Football Playoff. That success propelled Kelly back to the NFL as offensive coordinator for Pete Carroll’s Raiders,” wrote Sikkema.

“If Kelly can unlock similar production from Geno Smith and light up the scoreboard in Las Vegas, it will make headlines, and his name will once again surface in head coaching conversations.”

It seems somewhat far-fetched to think Kelly will re-enter the head coaching ranks so soon in his return to the NFL, but the Raiders offer him plenty of opportunity to boost his candidacy.

One of the major projects the new regime completed for the Raiders was the retooling of the offense. Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers were positive starts, but the team added quarterback Geno Smith and running back Ashton Jeanty to shore up two of the unit’s biggest weaknesses from a year ago. With an increase in talent at Kelly’s disposal, being able to elevate the offense into a fearsome group would do wonders for him.

Kelly has plenty to gain with a strong season and, while it is unlikely he leaves the Raiders so quickly, an improved team could lead to at least a few interviews.