Chip Kelly was 'too big a gamble,' Browns' Joe Banner tells SI
By Mary Kay Cabot
Hiring Oregon's Chip Kelly was too much of a gamble for the Browns, CEO Joe Banner told Sports Illustrated's Peter King.
"We removed ourselves from the process," Banner said. "We really liked Chip. He's intriguing, a very different thinker, and very smart. But you could see he was uncertain what he wanted to do. He may be in Philadelphia 10 years or longer and have a terrific career. But the fact he committed to Tampa Bay last year, backed out, then seemed all year to be leaning toward going to the NFL, then being so uncertain with us, we just felt it was too big a gamble. If there was no ambivalence, we may have offered him the job.''
The Browns interviewed Kelly for seven hours in Arizona on Jan. 4 and were reportedly close to a deal at one point. But Banner and owner Jimmy Haslam left Arizona two days later, with sources close to the situation saying they walked away because they feared Kelly's heart wasn't 100% into leaving Oregon.
Later that night it was announced that he was staying at the university. But the Eagles, who interviewed Kelly for nine hours in Arizona a day after the Browns did, landed Kelly last week. Both Eagles owner Jeff Lurie and Kelly said his decision came down to Oregon and the Eagles.