What appears too good to be true may, in fact, be too good to be true.
Bleacher Report NFL insider Jason Cole reported Wednesday that an NFL insider indicated to him Chip Kelly has no interest in becoming Alabama's offensive coordinator. No actual reporting in the 24 hours since Steve Sarkisian abruptly left Tuscaloosa for the Atlanta Falcons actually hinted this was a real possibility, but plenty of reporters (yours truly included) have nudged Alabama in that direction.
While there are obvious reasons neither side would be interested in making the match happen, there are real reasons an Alabama offense run by Chip Kelly could be a mutually beneficial relationship.
For as much angst as it caused internally, Lane Kiffin significantly helped Alabama's offense for the three years he wore crimson. He helped the Tide win three SEC titles, reach all three College Football Playoffs that have ever existed -- with three different quarterbacks -- and produced three SEC Offensive Players of the Year at three different positions. There was tension, for sure, but that creative tension pushed Alabama's offense forward, to the point where the No. 1 dual threat quarterback in the country would choose Alabama after a season in which the Tide played a true freshman at quarterback.
Kelly could provide a similar level of creative friction for Nick Saban, while Saban offered Kelly a chance a relatively low-risk pit stop to rehabilitate his career.
Instead, Cole reports Kelly would prefer to remain in the NFL as a head coach or offensive coordinator. Neither of which appears to be likely in the 2017 season.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.