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The Philadelphia Eagles made Chip Kelly one of the highest-paid coaches in the NFL, giving him a five-year contract worth $32.5 million, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. The lucrative deal, which is worth $6.5 million annually, was a crucial factor in Kelly's decision to join the Eagles after originally deciding to remain at Oregon, according to the source. The 49-year-old Kelly, who was officially introduced Thursday, became the 21st coach in Eagles history and will replace Andy Reid, who was fired on Dec. 31 after a 4-12 season. The enigmatic Kelly reportedly was close to signing with the Browns after a long interview Jan. 4. He met with the Eagles for nine hours the next day, setting up a soap-opera scenario in which the Eagles were competing with Browns CEO Joe Banner, their former president and longtime friend of owner Jeffrey Lurie, who left the organization after a falling out. But that roller coaster ended when Kelly opted to remain -- temporarily -- in Eugene, Ore. An offensive innovator, Kelly ultimately was lured away from Oregon, where he went 46-7 in four seasons and turned the program into a national powerhouse. Though Kelly has no previous NFL experience, the Eagles are banking on him to turn around a franchise that has just 12 wins in the last two years and zero playoff victories since 2008. Information from ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter and The Associated Press was used in this report.
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