On principle, it's always difficult to trust the veracity of reporters. However, Adam Schefter is generally legit and checks his sources, and he never seems to be too far off the mark.

And besides, this rumor isn't all that shocking.

"It would be an upset if Chip Kelly was not in the NFL next year." -@adamschefter

— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) December 7, 2012

It's been thought for awhile that Kelly might consider the NFL. It's hard to imagine a college football coach having a more illustrious time. He's 45-7 as a football head coach and 33-3 in the Pac-12, and is headed to his fourth straight BCS bowl game. He's been to one national championship and is probably a couple missed kicks away from going to two more. He's created one of the most unique and dynamic offenses in college football that has yet to be fully employed in the NFL, and could potentially revolutionize the way teams play the game at the professional level.

Kelly is 49 years old, which means he's still in his football prime. But the longer he waits, the greater the risk that his stock might fall off. Right now there's so much intrigue concerning the Oregon attack that current NFL teams are willing to go all-in to try it out. In the NFL, Kelly will have plenty of chances to find the talent he believes will best mesh with his system.