Rumors: Chip Kelly targeting Redskins QB coach Kevin O’Connell for coordinator job

Kevin O’Connell is in his first season as the Redskins quarterbacks coach and he has done a good job. He may be moving on after the season.

The Washington Redskins have just one week remaining in the season. Following their win against the Denver Broncos in Week 16, it’s presumed that Jay Gruden will be safe for another season. Leading the team to a 7-8 record isn’t great, but considering the injuries the Redskins have suffered and the brutal schedule they faced early in the year, giving Gruden one more crack at making the postseason seems warranted.

That said, because Gruden is returning, it’s expected that a lot of the staff will remain on as well. While some might question whether or not the team will bring in a new offensive coordinator, the team’s positional coaches were always likely to stick around. However, it appears that one may be leaving. That would be quarterbacks coach Kevin O’Connell.

O’Connell joined the Redskins during the 2017 offseason. He’s in his third NFL season with three different teams, as he had the misfortune of working for lame-duck coaching staffs with the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers. However, the latter position may have helped him out a bit as he got to know Chip Kelly.

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Kelly was fired by the 49ers after just one season, but he is now set to be the head coach at UCLA. He wasn’t a good NFL head coach, but he is a proven winner in the Pac-12. And according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Kelly wants to bring in O’Connell to be his new offensive coordinator.

Rapport is right. It would be a very difficult position for O’Connell to turn down. Staying on Kelly’s staff would give him a bigger role in calling an offense, and he would probably get job security from this as well. If Kelly and his staff do well at UCLA, they’ll be locked in their positions until a better offer rolls around. That has to appeal to O’Connell after have three different jobs in three years.

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For the Redskins, losing O’Connell would be a drawback. As our own Ian Cummings pointed out in a recent article, O’Connell’s coaching has had a noticeable impact on Kirk Cousins in 2017.

"While [O’Connell] hasn’t made quite the impression that [Sean] McVay did, in terms of play calling, the former quarterback’s teachings have induced change. At San Diego State, O’Connell was a dual threat quarterback, and he’s clearly brought more of that versatility to the quarterback room in Washington. Kirk Cousins is more creative outside the pocket this year, and he’s more willing to make plays on his feet. O’Connell has brought balance to Cousins’ game. And we’ve seen early dividends. There’s not too much running, or too little. It’s just enough. And that’s good for the offense."

If O’Connell leaves, the Redskins will have to find a new candidate to coach the quarterbacks. They could rely on current offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh to coach the position, he was the quarterback coach before being promoted to offensive coordinator, or they could look to find a different player. An intriguing option would actually be demoting Cavanaugh and bringing in a new offensive coordinator, but that would probably be too complicated and wouldn’t sit well with anyone on the team.

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Should O’Connell leave, expect the Redskins to target a proven option to work with the quarterback group. Perhaps a guy like Todd Downing, Oakland’s current offensive coordinator who is rumored to be out after the season, could fit the bill. Either way, the team will need to find a quality replacement.