In 2015, the Eagles fired coach Chip Kelly with two years left on his contract. Only one year into a four-year deal with his current employer, the 49ers reportedly will be doing the same.
The end result — a 2017 season with multiple buyout obligations — creates an unusual situation for Philadelphia and San Francisco.
The 49ers likely would argue that Kelly should get whatever he was owed by the Eagles for 2017, and that any excess will be covered by his 49ers contract. The Eagles likely would argue that the 49ers contract supersedes the Eagles contract, and that as long as the 49ers are paying Kelly as much or more than he would have made with the Eagles, the Eagles owe Kelly nothing.
Ultimately, the two sides may end up submitting the issue to the league office for resolution. There likely won’t be much precedent, given that not many coaches get fired by one NFL team while they are still earning paychecks from another NFL team that fired him.