With all but one head coaching vacancy filled in the NFL, the attention now turns to who will get the offensive coordinator spots that are open around the league.
And sources tell CBS Sports that at the top of the list for several teams is former NFL head coach and current Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
Kelly is considered a target for both the Jaguars and Texans OC positions, sources say. He also could get looks in Tampa Bay, among other potential landing spots.
Kelly, 61, just won a national championship with the Ohio State Buckeyes. But he’s kept an interest in the NFL for years, including last year when his name was tossed around the league following his UCLA tenure and before he went to Columbus.
He served as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles for three seasons and then coached the 49ers for a year before being dismissed. Kelly has been in the college ranks since becoming the UCLA coach in 2018.
Sources indicated the Jaguars had interest in pairing new head coach Liam Coen with Kelly. Coen is thought to be a play-calling head coach, so it’s unclear how involved Kelly would be in calling the plays in-game should that match come to fruition.
But after the Texans fired offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik following two years in that role, sources pointed to Kelly as a logical successor. He was DeMeco Ryans‘ coach in Philadelphia during his playing days, and he would call the offensive plays without interference considering the head coach comes from the defensive background.
Current Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson and Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak are also early candidates for that job, sources say.
At present there are 11 offensive coordinator vacancies in the league, including the 49ers who are expected to name Klay Kubiak as the offensive coordinator at some point this offseason. Two OC jobs have already been filled with the Patriots (Josh McDaniels) and Browns (Tommy Rees).
And OC gigs with the Eagles, Commanders, Packers and/or Giants could come open depending on how the interview process shakes out. Kellen Moore and Mike Kafka are candidates for the New Orleans job, Adam Stenavich has interviewed for the Seattle offensive coordinator role and Kliff Kingsbury has indicated he won’t consider any other job until the Commanders season concludes.
Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady informed the team this weekend he won’t take the interview in New Orleans and intends to remain in Buffalo for the 2025 season.
On Saturday, Tampa Bay completed a virtual interview with Chargers pass game coordinator Marcus Brady and Vikings assistant Grant Udinski, and the Bucs requested an interview with Rams assistant Nate Scheelhaas. Buccaneers pass game coordinator Josh Grizzard and quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis are strong internal candidates. And previous interviewees like Seattle pass game coordinator Jake Peetz and Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher may be considered, though the Bengals reserve the right to block Pitcher from any OC opportunity even if one gives him play-calling duties.
With uncertainty surrounding the long-term future of Todd Bowles in Tampa, some have wondered whether the Bucs will be able to get a top candidate this cycle. Additionally, it is extremely unlikely Coen will be able to take any assistant coaches from Tampa with him to Jacksonville considering how things ended there. The Buccaneers can’t block any assistants from interviewing for a coordinator role, but they can block a lateral move.
Rams pass game coordinator Nick Caley has been a hot name in past years, and that continues this cycle. Caley, who turned down the Patriots OC job last year, is considered the top candidate to join Aaron Glenn’s staff with the Jets. He could also draw attention from the Texans.
Detroit lost Ben Johnson to Chicago, but the Lions could replace him with internal candidates like Scottie Montgomery or Tanner Engstrand. Detroit promoted Kelvin Sheppard to defensive coordinator over the weekend.
And many questions surround the Raiders and who Pete Carroll will hire as his offensive coordinator. Early names emerging from Las Vegas include Titans QBs coach (and former interim Raiders OC) Bo Hardegree as well as Broncos senior personnel executive David Shaw, sources say. Shaw, the former Stanford head coach, has had three head-coach interviews the last two seasons and is interviewing for the Bears offensive coordinator position.
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