The Philadelphia Eagles got their man when they landed head coach Chip Kelly last week, but at what cost?
Details have emerged about the details of the contract that secured Kelly’s landing in Philly. They reveal that the former Oregon coach is now one of the highest paid in the NFL. Kelly inked a five-year deal totaling $32 million according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The contract averages $6.5 annually and, according to a source cited by Schefter, was a key component of Kelly’s decision to take the plunge to the ranks of professional football.
Kelly’s contract with the Eagles is strikingly similar to the deal done with Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks when he signed with the team after leaving USC in 2009, signing a five-year deal for $33 million.
The terms of Kelly’s contract place him behind Saints head coach Sean Payton and the Patriots’ Bill Belichick, the highest paid coaches in the league, each earning about $8 million annually. Washington’s Mike Shanahan reportedly earns $7 million a year, and New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin reportedly makes just over Kelly’s $6.5 million a year.
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For what? An “old ball coach”?
I wish Chip nothing but success in the NFL. He is a great coach, a great man and deserves to obtain his dream. He will be direly missed in Oregon but it was his time. Congratulations!!
That’s a lot of coin for a man who hasn’t coached or played in the NFL. I am sure the buyout clause is equally substantial. Here’s hoping it is never needed and Chip Kelly turns out to be worth every penny.
Yep. Here’s hoping, Bruce…