Chip Kelly is set to return to the NFL as the offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders, according to a source familiar with the decision. The team has not yet made an official announcement regarding the hire.
Kelly, who was the offensive coordinator for Ohio State’s national championship team this past season, has previously served as the head coach at Oregon, UCLA, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the San Francisco 49ers.
This marks the second significant move made by new Raiders head coach Pete Carroll, who also decided to keep defensive coordinator Patrick Graham last week.
In hiring Kelly, the Raiders are hoping to improve an offense that struggled last season, ranking as the fourth-worst in the league with an average of 303.2 yards per game, and finishing last in rushing with just 79.8 yards per game.
One of Kelly’s top priorities will be addressing the quarterback situation, especially in a highly competitive AFC West, which includes strong quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Bo Nix — all of whom led their teams to the playoffs this year. Mahomes, in particular, is looking to win a third consecutive Super Bowl as the Kansas City Chiefs aim for an unprecedented third straight Lombardi Trophy.
The Raiders’ offensive issues extend beyond the quarterback position. They struggled to fill the void left by running back Josh Jacobs, who signed with the Green Bay Packers. Additionally, they lost a key playmaker at wide receiver when Davante Adams was traded to the New York Jets during the season.
There are some positive aspects for the Raiders moving forward. Rookie tight end Brock Bowers had a standout season, Jakobi Meyers recorded his first 1,000-yard receiving season, and offensive linemen Jackson Powers-Johnson and DJ Glaze, along with tackle Kolton Miller, showed promising potential as strong building blocks for the future.
Chip Kelly first made a name for himself as a creative offensive mastermind during his time as Oregon’s offensive coordinator in 2007 and 2008, before becoming the Ducks’ head coach. Over his four seasons as head coach, he went 46-7, reached the Bowl Championship Series national championship game in 2010, and finished in the top four of the AP poll for his last three years.
Oregon’s offense ranked among the top three in the country for each of Chip Kelly’s final three seasons, consistently averaging over 500 yards per game. The Ducks employed a high-tempo offense that wore down opposing defenses and limited their ability to substitute players—this style of play would later be altered by new rules to create more balance between teams.
Kelly’s next stop was Philadelphia, where he spent three seasons. He led the Eagles to a 10-6 record in his first two years but was fired after a disappointing 6-9 season in 2015.
He then moved to the San Francisco 49ers, but his tenure there was short-lived, as he lasted just one season with a 2-14 record.
Returning to college football in 2018, Kelly took over at UCLA. His first three seasons were underwhelming, with losing records, but the Bruins turned things around in his final three years, finishing with a 25-13 record. Despite this improvement, Kelly’s job security remained uncertain throughout his tenure.
After the 2023 season, Kelly left UCLA to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator. The Buckeyes dominated in the College Football Playoff, scoring 83 points in the first two rounds before beating Texas 28-14 in the semifinals and Notre Dame 34-23 in the national championship game.