There was a report on Wednesday that some NFL coaches and an executive thought San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly would jump ship after this season. Naturally, that got plenty of people buzzing as the 49ers struggle through the early part of the season.
On Thursday, Eric Branch asked Kelly if he was committed to staying with the 49ers next year, and Kelly confirmed he was not going anywhere. Kelly had some fun with it, joking that “unless the media has an opportunity for me, I’m not going anywhere.”
I have said before that I will not put anything past any coach. They usually end up looking out for themselves and doing what is in their best interest. But at this point, I don’t see Kelly giving up after one year and admitting defeat. The money (he is in year one of a four-year $24 million) is certainly a reason to stick around, but I also don’t see him as a guy focused on the money. It’s likely a factor in any decision, but he seems like a gym rat football type who is not going to make decisions based on money.
All that being said, I think he wants to make things work. And while there are no indications he has a bad relationship with Trent Baalke, if the 49ers current GM is fired and Tom Gamble ends up with the job, it makes even more sense for Kelly to stick around.