Chip Kelly received a massive raise to leave Ohio State and take the Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive coordinator job.
The Raiders gave Kelly a contract averaging $6 million per year to take their offensive coordinator job, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB. That agreement makes Kelly the highest-paid coordinator in the NFL, and will pay him more than a number of NFL head coaches make per year.
The @Raiders told candidates during their search they were making a serious commitment with an infusion of cash from the new owners. Here it is—Chip Kelly was lured to Vegas with a deal averaging $6 million per year, per sources.
Kelly is now the NFL's highest-paid coordinator.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) February 3, 2025
For context, Kelly was already making big money at Ohio State by coordinator standards. The Raiders effectively offered to triple that salary. With that kind of money on the table, plus a chance to return to coaching in the NFL, it is pretty easy to see why Kelly jumped at the opportunity and left the Buckeyes behind after just one season.
Kelly got some looks from other NFL teams for offensive coordinator openings. It is unlikely that they would have been willing to pay him as much as the Raiders ultimately did, and the Buckeyes probably would not have given Kelly that much of a raise either. Ohio State players will be disappointed, but it is tough to blame Kelly for going this route.
