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Chip Kelly Comes to Soldier Field in 2016

By Bill Zimmerman

Dec 20, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly runs onto the field before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey G. Pittenger-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly runs onto the field before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey G. Pittenger-USA TODAY Sports /
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Wherever Chip Kelly goes, he brings headlines with him. After a very loud three years in Philadelphia that brought national headlines seemingly every week, Chip Kelly was fired by the Eagles in December. After the season, Kelly reached out to several teams to let them know he was interested in coaching again in 2016 and one of those teams was the San Francisco 49ers.

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Today, those 49ers hired Kelly as their next head coach. If anyone can resurrect Colin Kaepernick’s career it’s Kelly with his unique offense. Kelly will not have the roster control he had in Philadelphia, instead, he’ll focus on honing the roster and just coaching games and trying to tally victories. The loss of GM duties should help Kelly be more successful, if, of course, the front office can provide him with the proper talent to win.

So what does all this have to do with the Chicago Bears?

Well honestly, not too much, other than the fact that, since we already know the Bears opponents in 2016, we know they face the San Francisco 49ers and we also know that they will play in Chicago.

That should be a very interesting game. Baring an injury, the Bears will most likely be facing Kaepernick, something they didn’t do in the 49ers 26-20 victory over Chicago this past season led by the mighty Blaine Gabbert. Vic Fangio knows Kaepernick well and will be tasked to contain the previously struggling QB that could have a bounce-back season under Kelly.

Meanwhile, the week leading up to the game should be filled with plenty of intrigue, as Kelly seems to be the NFC’s version of Rex Ryan, grabbing headlines constantly, even if his team doesn’t deserve them.

Speculating when the game will be played is always difficult. Being they played in December this past season and most late season games are divisional games anyway, you can expect this game to most likely fall in the early or middle portion of the season.

Being that both teams are coming off bad seasons, despite being two large markets, they aren’t going to risk this game in primetime. This will be a 1pm ET/Noon CT kickoff from Soldier Field probably on a Sunday afternoon in October.

There will be plenty of offseason activity between now and then, but being I can’t wait for the 2016 season to arrive, I’m already looking forward to John Fox vs Chip Kelly 2016.

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