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Chip Kelly Rumors: Oregon Ducks Head Coach Denies NFL Contact

Oregon Ducks head coach Chip Kelly and his agent have denied contact with the NFL, although it hardly means he's not interested in looking after the season.

Steve Dykes

Chip Kelly seems to be deflecting the idea that he's been in contact with the NFL. There have been multiple reports that Kelly has been looking around, particularly with the Eagles and the Chargers. Kelly tried to put the situation to bed as he gets set for the Fiesta Bowl against Kansas State.

Now, there's a good chance Kelly has been exploring the NFL. And he might be skirting around all of this with the way he defines talking with the NFL. Perhaps he was just taking a look through intermediaries (a common practice to avoid any conflict of interest, particularly when current coaching staffs are employed in both spots), so he could make his intentions clear as to whether he could be persuaded to leave Oregon.

Kelly is at the peak of his powers right now, and if there's any time for him to leave for the NFL, it's now. But there is always the chance he might try to stay in Oregon and try to complete all of his goals with a national championship. No one really knows exactly what might be next for him. It could go either way. But there will be a lot of interested GMs pursuing Kelly the moment the Fiesta Bowl ends, if they aren't pursuing him now.