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5 Pros and 5 Cons of Head Coach Chip Kelly Leaving the San Francisco 49ers

By Peter Panacy

Chip Kelly before an NFL game against the Los Angeles Rams at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Chip Kelly before an NFL game against the Los Angeles Rams at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 16, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead (91) against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 16, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead (91) against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports /

Con: No Consistency for the 49ers’ Young and Developing Players

Change isn’t always a good thing, even when it’s perceived as a need.

Should Chip Kelly depart, the 49ers would be searching for their third head coach in as many years. And with each new coach comes a new scheme, a new staff and an entirely different way of doing things.

Aug 10, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive guard Joshua Garnett (65) warms up during the training camp at Kezar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 10, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive guard Joshua Garnett (65) warms up during the training camp at Kezar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports /

Veteran players might be OK with frequent changes. But younger players, and the 49ers have a lot of them, could easily see their progression stunted and any potential never reached.

Just ask former Niners quarterback Alex Smith. How many offensive coordinators did he go through over his first five seasons in San Francisco after being drafted?

Instead of becoming dominant forces, guys like DeForest Buckner, Joshua Garnett, Trent Brown and even Rashard Robinson might go from possible Pro Bowl-caliber types to merely OK players.

We shouldn’t automatically assume Kelly is the best for developing young talent. But instituting regular changes isn’t necessarily a good thing either.