Las Vegas Raiders' Chip Kelly Addresses Leaving Ohio State, Ryan Day For NFL

Former Oregon Ducks head coach Chip Kelly had his introductory meeting with the Las Vegas Raiders and national media on Wednesday afternoon. The new offensive coordinator for former Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll most recently led the Ohio State Buckeyes to a National Championship in his lone season at the helm in Columbus. Now tasked with elevating the stagnant Raiders offensive unit, Kelly is back in the NFL.

Kelly reportedly signed an annual six million dollar deal that would make him the highest-paid coordinator in the NFL on either side of the ball. Despite being an iconic franchise in American sports, the Raiders have been in the doldrums for decades. With the hiring of Carroll as head coach, the retention of defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, and Chip Kelly now leading the offense, spirits should be as high as they’ve been for the silver and black faithful in a long time.

Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly addresses the media for the first time. https://t.co/gkCgwi1bWd
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) February 5, 2025

“I just got here, I’m getting a computer right now to watch film and to start to analyze the personnel that’s here. We haven’t had one discussion about person or kind of what direction or what that will look like as we move forward.” Chip Kelly said to Raiders reports on the virtual press conference.

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What did Kelly say about leaving Ohio State and Day?

““Obviously, this is the highest league of football,” Kelly said. “The competition is at an all-time high. I would only go somewhere where I felt really confident from the ownership to the personnel to the head coach. I really felt that when I met with Pete.”

“The opportunity at Ohio State was an amazing experience,” Kelly said. “To be a small part of that team winning a national championship was really cool, and a chance to watch some players that were amazing and persevered and showed amazing resiliency and get a chance to say they're champions for the rest of their life, was pretty cool.”

Kelly is known for his schematic prowess. At Oregon he was a pioneer for the uptempo spread offense that ran defense units off the field. Very rarely, if ever, were 12-personnel sets used. As Kelly progress through the ranks in the NFL and eventually back down to college, his method of attack changed.

Developed might even be the more appropriate word. Kelly adapted with his personnel over time and ultimately ended up with a national championship level offense as a result of that change. Kelly spoke about how that philosophy of adaptation will carry over into the NFL as he begins his Raiders stint.

"You have to be able to adapt to what you have, and that's putting those guys in position to make plays and then let them go make plays." - #Raiders OC Chip Kelly, on what he needs in a QB
— Paul Gutierrez (@PGutierrezESPN) February 5, 2025

“What are their strengths and then how do we design our offense around their strengths because it has to be designed around how the quarterback plays. It’s really your evaluation of the personnel available and fitting them into that system.” Kelly stated.

The Raiders quarterback situation will assuredly be addressed over this offseason, but for now, it’s dire. Kelly has proven that he can adapt with mostly any style of quarterback, so the immediate fix may be a familiar face such former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. Names like Sam Darnold have been broached as well. A reuniting with his most recent quarterback, Will Howard, could be a possibility through the draft as well.

Regardless, the offense is in great hands. Chip Kelly, much like Pete Carroll as a head coach, has proven time and time again that he’s as reliable as they come with an offensive play sheet in his hands.

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