Chip Kelly needs a quarterback to run his system, and he’s gone to an unlikely yet familiar source. CSNPhilly is reporting that Kelly and the Eagles will sign Dennis Dixon after the Super Bowl.
Dixon who is on the Ravens practice squad, would be free to sign anywhere he likes.
Dixon, who engineered Kelly’s offense to near perfection at Oregon and had his Heisman candidacy in 2007 derailed by a knee injury, is the only NFL quarterback that knows the coach’s system inside-out and wouldn’t be starting from Square 1.
It’s an obvious and expected pairing. Dixon is known to be thrilled that Kelly has made the leap from college to the pros and is eager for a reunion with his former college offensive coordinator.
Kelly probably would have reached out to Dixon already but the Ravens’ climb to the Super Bowl has served as a temporary roadblock. Per NFL rule, a practice squad player in the postseason can’t sign with a non-playoff team until his team is eliminated.
The 28-year-old Dixon was on the verge of a Heisman at Oregon before tearing his ACL in 2007. If not a starter, Dixon would provide Kelly with a backup who knows his system.