San Francisco 49ers: Is Chip Kelly Just Keeping The Seat Warm?

The San Francisco 49ers, reeling from a terrible 2015 campaign, hired Chip Kelly to lead the team – but is he merely keeping a seat warm for somebody else?

More from San Francisco 49ers

• 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
• 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
• 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve
• 49ers sign TE Daniel Helm off the Buccaneers practice squad
• 49ers: Jordan Reed could miss up to two months, will be placed on IR

Needing to do something to pacify an enraged fanbase after an abysmal 2015 campaign, the San Francisco 49ers seemed to feel like they needed to go to the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Jed York and Trent Baalke hired Chip Kelly to replace on and done sacrificial lamb, Jim Tomsula. If York and Baalke were looking to shake things up, they couldn’t have done much better – coaching style and personality-wise, the two men seem about as opposite from one another as they can get.

There is no doubt though, that hiring Kelly has sent a jolt of excitement through the 49er fanbase. He brings an intensity and an energy that is palpable. And his frenetic style of high octane football is likely going to put a lot of points on the board while creating a buzz around Levi’s Stadium.

Kelly’s high flying offense should be good for some excitement and a few ticket sales. But many believe that Kelly is already on a short leash, with some speculating that he doesn’t have long to turn this team around.

Which begs the question – is Kelly merely keeping the seat warm for a season?

Related Story: Trust In Chip Kelly

Now obviously, we’re venturing into extreme tin foil hat, conspiracy theory country at this point – hey, it’s a slow period in the offseason, what else are we going to do?

There is already speculation running around about Seattle Seahawks HC Pete Carroll not having an extension in place and the possibility of him moving south at season’s end. In particular, given his ties to the area, the rumor mill has already been linking Carroll to the Los Angeles Rams’ head coaching job.

More from Golden Gate Sports

• Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
• 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
• Oakland Athletics win Game 2 of Wild Card round with late-inning drama
• 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
• 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve

The problem though, is that the Rams job is not currently open – of course, neither is the 49ers job, but we’ll get back to that. It’s possible that Rams owner Stan Kroenke may gave Jeff Fisher a little more leeway and a little time to develop rookie quarterback Jared Goff and help the team get settled in LA. Possibly.
That also makes the assumption that Carroll would be interested in the LA gig in the first place. After all, he didn’t exactly leave town the first time on the best of terms.

So, should the franchise lets Carroll walk (Which seems crazy, given that he helped deliver the franchise’s first and only championship. But hey, football is a crazy business), York and Baalke could very well be interested in acquiring his services. They’d be fools to not at least give him a look.

After all, Carroll helped build Seattle into a perennial power and with San Francisco seemingly adrift at sea with little to no direction, he could help bring the organization back to solid footing again.

Which brings us back to Kelly. If the 49ers get off to a terrible start (something many believe is possible, if not likely) are not able to improve upon last year’s five win season – or even worse, regress – many believe that Kelly will be sacrificed in the same way Tomsula was.

After all, fans will be enraged, season ticket sales – and overall attendance – will likely drop. Which will force York to take swift action and attempt to give the bloodthirsty mob some form of appeasement – likely, the head of Kelly and possibly even the head of Baalke.

Which brings us back to Carroll again. Should the 2016 season go completely off the rails, York is going to need to hold somebody accountable. And since he’s never been a fan of holding himself accountable for anything, he’s going to need to appoint a fall guy – or fall guys.

Should things play out that way, that would then allow York to offer Carroll the head coaching gig – as well as the General Manager gig. After all, Carroll – not GM John Schneider – is already in charge of all football related decisions in Seattle and that’s worked out pretty well overall.

Bringing in a coach like Carroll would bring some stability and credibility that the franchise hasn’t had in a few years. Not since a certain khaki loving guy was roaming the sidelines. Carroll is a solid football guy who’s built a solid program and eschews the razzle dazzle for good, fundamental football – something the 49ers really need a dose of.

Obviously, this is all speculation with perhaps, a healthy dose of wishful thinking mixed in. With the Seahawks coming to terms on an extension with Schneider, many believe that Carroll will be getting his soon enough. But there is always the possibility that he walks away from Seattle next season.

Next: Which 49ers Players Need to Step Up?

If Carroll does indeed walk and Kelly has an abysmal season, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that York – who will be facing a firestorm of criticism – has a knee jerk reaction and jettisons Kelly and possibly Baalke along with him. If that happens, it will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

You may now remove your tin foil hats and go on about your regularly scheduled business.