The rumors linking Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley to an NFL move are once again popping up.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller said Saturday that he’d heard from one NFL front office source that there would be a “race” to fire head coaches this season, because many teams want a shot at trying to lure Riley to the NFL.
Just got this text from a front office buddy:
"There's going to be a race to fire NFL head coaches this season because everyone wants to get on Lincoln Riley as early as possible."@brgridiron @sticktofootball
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) September 28, 2019
This is far from the first time we’ve heard speculation linking Riley to an NFL job. His departure was quite unlikely toward the end of last year, and the Oklahoma coach ultimately signed a contract extension. Things can certainly change, but it’s hard to imagine that Riley would be eager to leave during the regular season.
To be clear, it’s easy to see why NFL teams would have interest in Riley. He’s 27-4 as the Sooners’ head coach, has shown the ability to work with multiple future NFL quarterbacks, and promotes an offensive style that is quickly becoming all the rage.
If this report is true, there’s one team that might really be able to get a leg up in the Riley sweepstakes — if they exist, that is.
