Category: Opinion

USMNT star Christian Pulisic had a weak explanation for his Donald Trump dance goal celebration

If you’re going to make a political statement, stand by it.

In the wake of Donald Trump’s election for a second presidential term, we’ve seen several athletes signal their support for Trump by copying a dance the president-elect has been known to do at his rallies. But when it came time to explain the dance, they all had similar answers.

U.S. men’s national team star Christian Pulisic was no different.

Pulisic — who is enjoying a career-best season at AC Milan — scored the opening goal in the USMNT’s CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal win against Jamaica on Monday. And when Pulisic made his celebratory trot to the corner flag, many were surprised to see Pulisic break out that same Donald Trump dance we’ve already witnessed from Brock Bowers and Jon Jones.

Now, Pulisic is entitled to his political opinions — no matter how divisive they may be. And it’s no secret where he stands in that regard. But what was odd was how he brushed off the dance as simply something he saw as “funny.”

Pulisic said after the match via The Athletic:

“Well obviously that’s the Trump dance,” Pulisic said when asked whether he intentionally celebrated with viral moves. “It was just a dance that everyone’s doing. He’s the one who created it. I just thought it was funny.”

He continued:

“I saw everyone doing it yesterday in the NFL, I saw Jon Jones do it,” Pulisic said after the game. “We’re just having a bit of fun, so I thought it was a pretty fun dance.”

…

“No, not at all,” Pulisic said. “It’s not a political dance. It was just for fun. I saw a bunch of people do it and I thought it was funny, so I enjoyed it. I hope some people did, at least.”

And while teammates Weston McKennie (a vocal Trump critic) and Ricardo Pepi joined Pulisic on the dance, it’s awfully disingenuous for Pulisic to dismiss a clearly political dance as something he happened to see in the NFL and UFC. It’s an inherently political statement, and if you’re going to make one, at least have the courage to stand by it and explain it.

When Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality, he didn’t shy away from questions. When USWNT legend Megan Rapinoe did the same, she was also able to answer for it. She wrote an entire piece about it.

If Pulisic wants to use his platform as the face of the USMNT to do that dance, he should be brave enough to give an honest explanation. He wasn’t willing to do that on Monday.

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Deion Sanders is done campaigning for Travis Hunter’s Heisman, and he’s right

There’s a clear reason why Travis Hunter is the Heisman Trophy favorite in Week 12.

Selecting the most outstanding college football player each season isn’t always easy, and there isn’t always a clear-cut favorite.

The 2024 Heisman Trophy race has been fascinating to watch all season with preseason favorite Dillon Gabriel, Ashton Jeanty and Cam Ward making some truly standout plays and quintessential Heisman moments on the field.

But, as talented as they are, no one really compares with two-way player Travis Hunter, who entered Week 12 as the consensus Heisman favorite. And Saturday in Colorado’s 49-24 win over Utah, the Buffaloes wide receiver/defensive back reminded everyone why.

Against Utah, Hunter finished with 60 total offensive yards, which is actually a bit low for him. He earned his first rushing touchdown of the season, and on defense, he returned an interception for 21 yards and added three solo tackles and a pass breakup. On the season, he has 10 total touchdowns, 911 receiving yards, three interceptions, eight passes defended and one forced fumble, as Fox Sports noted.

Hunter’s talent and skills are undeniable. Not only does he play almost every snap on both sides of the ball when he’s healthy, but he also often makes standout play after standout play, like this one:

And this one:

With less than a month to go before Heisman voters make their selections, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders and the Buffs have been stumping hard for Hunter’s Heisman campaign. They’re right to support their player, of course, but they’re also right about no college player in the country being comparable to Hunter, a coveted future NFL Draft pick.

Buffs quarterback Shedeur Sanders praised Hunter after the game, calling him the best player in the country:

“He’s the best player in the country, hands down, no doubt. There’s not a lot of guys that can do what he do on offense and defense, so it’s really tough to compare him to anybody else because I feel like if he was at a different program — they don’t like us so much. They hate on us too. So it’s real hard, and it makes me sad that they don’t give a guy like him his credit because that’s generational. It ain’t gonna happen again for a long time.”

After the Buffs’ win against Utah, Deion was asked what his message to undecided Heisman voters would be. He echoed his quarterback son’s sentiments but implied he’s done stumping and said:

“I ain’t gonna sit up here and give no message to no Heisman voters who is undecided. If they can’t see, they can’t see. It is what it is. Travis is who he is. It’s supposed to go to the best college football player; I think that’s been a wrap since, what? Week 2?

“So, we ain’t petitioning for nobody. We ain’t doing that. We’ve got a wonderful display of cameras here, and I think we’re on national television every week. If they can’t see it, something is a problem. Don’t allow their hatred for me to interfere with our kids’ success. … Give the kids what they deserve.”

Sanders may claim he’s not arguing for Hunter’s Heisman campaign, but he’s still making an argument that the two-way player is the best in college football this season. And he’s right, but at this point, the Sanders family and the rest of Colorado shouldn’t have to be convincing anyone of Hunter’s exceptionalism.

For Oregon, Gabriel makes his dominance look easy. With Miami, Ward is so poised making big plays it’s almost worrisome. And Boise State has the best running back in the country with Jeanty.

But Hunter is an extraordinary two-way player who’s on the field for the majority of games and is having an incredible season. Barring a catastrophic game for him or a couple truly elevated performances from his fellow contenders, the Heisman should be his come December.

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Opinion: It’s time for Texans to wave goodbye to OC Bobby Slowik

Should the Houston Texans consider pivoting from OC Bobby Slowik to QB coach Jerrod Johnson as play caller as their offense sputters?

Change might be needed in Houston.

One year after Bobby Slowik was anointed as the next great offensive coordinator and rising head coaching candidate, the Houston Texans’ second-year play-caller stands firmly in the crossfire.

Tensions have been building among fans for weeks, but it erupted to a point of no return following Sunday’s meltdown against the Detroit Lions. Houston failed to score in the second half, squandering a 23-7 lead in an eventual 26-23 loss.

In was expected to be a juggernaut, Houston’s offense looks like one of the league’s most disappointing units.

Following Sunday, the Texans rank 16th in EPA per pass at -0.04 and 23rd in passing efficiency at 41.1% despite being headlined by 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud.

They rank 28th in EPA per carry at -0.31 and 31st in rushing success rate at a measly 34.2% despite the surge of Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon as the leading rusher.

Stroud’s sophomore season is approaching ‘slump’ territory under Slowik’s watch. The Ohio State product has regressed in completion percentage, passer rating, EPA per drop back and success rating.

Not only has Stroud struggled, he’s been sacked 34 times this season, only four fewer than reigning No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams.

The offensive line has factored into the failure — including regression from highly-paid members such as Laremy Tunsil and Shaq Mason —but Slowik sits core responsible for the unit he is in charge of coaching and coordinating on game day.

There’s no doubt that Slowik had a phenomenal debut in 2023. The former San Francisco 49ers assistant brought the core principles of the Kyle Shanahan scheme alongside detail-oriented, focused gameplans built around protecting and insulating his rookie quarterback.

The team flourished with game plans built around low-efficiency runs and max protection passes with long-developing route concepts. Texans Wire even named Slowik one of the 15 Most Impactful Texans of 2023.

Houston was able to find both explosive gains and play to the strength of their gritty defense as needed in 2023 with this formula. Stroud had firm guardrails to perform within and, combined with his talent, the team saw immediate explosive output and it was a huge part of their success last season.

It’s a factor as to why the Texans swung big in trades to land Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs and Mixon to accelerate an offense that already had the proverbial ‘engine’ needed for greatness.

Slowik’s second act in 2024 was expected to be one of evolution. Initially, the concept was built for a budding franchise star to facilitate as a point guard-esque distributor for a stacked supporting cast.

Instead, everything has sputtered.

Houston’s offense hasn’t evolved beyond the primary tenants many expected from San Francisco. What’s even worse is that it hasn’t established any unique identity of its own despite these unique talents available on offense.

The Texans remain a run-first offense that’s willing to accept an inefficient running game and, in that inefficiency, have become rather dependent on heroics from Stroud to bail them out.

These conservative tendencies have played a factor in the persona that is Houston’s happy being in games with top competitors rather than one that expects to win.

Confusing finishes against the Green Bay Packers and even electing for a long field goal against Detroit highlights a game plan built like a franchise without a premier quarterback.

What happens when a team is unable to pivot away from their structural inefficiencies?

What occurs when it’s unable to highlight its unique offensive talents or retain a large portion of its former identity?

Unfortunately, regression.

A year of film study has allowed teams to target their game plans toward Slowik’s tendencies and how Houston wants to win games. Whether that is predicting early-down runs or exploiting bad protection rules across a weak offensive line, teams have had far more success against the Texans offense and Stroud in 2024.

Slowik’s inability to evolve any of these components against the better-prepared competition is even further testimony to a unit that is struggling to adapt.

The Texans now feature an offense unable to structurally sound off on any singular thing worth merit. Their running game is inefficient. They’re unable to protect Stroud. The passing game often finds themselves in grossly unfavorable positions.

All of this is seemingly fueled by an offensive coordinator who doesn’t appear to have a direction for what this offense’s second act should be.

That doesn’t mean the situation is hopeless. The Texans should improve with the return of receiver Nico Collins, who led the NFL in receiving yards when placed on injured reserve last month. He provides an easy answer in the quick game, explosive plays vertically and consistency on screens functions as an extension of the run.

Still, it won’t fix the core issue that Slowik’s offense has encountered at this juncture: A lack of identity with minimal schematic diversity.

It’s for that reason that it’s time for Houston to consider a change at the top of their offensive coaching staff.

Quarterback coach Jerrod Johnson interviewed with several NFL teams for their offensive coordinator openings before ultimately electing to return to Houston. Coveted around the league, it was assumed that Johnson preferred to take the mantle in Houston following the 2024 season once Slowik departed for a potential head coaching position.

Johnson, a former quarterback, has experience under Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell and former Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich. He’s also worked with Stroud since he was in high school and has served as his position coach in team meetings ever since he arrived in the building.

Coordinator changes are almost always driven by desperation. Unfair or not, Houston is in a desperate position now sitting at 6-4 with an apparent inability to compete with top contenders dwindling.

However, few teams have such a well-regarded and well-prepared candidate in-house.

In a season with Super Bowl aspirations, it’s time for the Texans to take their chances with their once-considered heir apparent at offensive coordinator. Johnson’s background and quarterback-centric approach could not only galvanize the locker room but stimulate more aggressive and more talent-friendly game plans for Houston’s offense.

Across the sidelines, Detroit once faced an uphill climb at offensive coordinator early in Dan Campbell’s tenure. He eventually elected to promote tight ends coach Ben Johnson as the new play-caller after the in-season demotion of offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn.

The rest has been history as Johnson remains the most sought-after candidate to take over a franchise for the second consecutive offseason.

It’s not ideal, but the Texans’ offense is approaching a point of desperation. Texans coach Demeco Ryans should consider whether he’s willing to endure another loss when his defense forces five interceptions.

The front office needs to consider if they’re willing to let an expensive 2024 offense go to waste on principal.

Sometimes, change is necessary. Fans soon will see if the Texans feel the same way.

Joel Embiid’s altercation with a columnist was the writer’s words coming home to roost

The NBA is investigating an altercation between Joel Embiid and a Philadelphia sports columnist.

Joel Embiid shouted at and eventually shoved a Philadelphia sports columnist in the 76ers locker room during an exchange of words after Saturday’s loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

The altercation stemmed from a story written by Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes that mentioned Embiid’s son and late brother in a criticism of the center’s lack of availability for the 76ers. The column’s lede crossed a line that could unfortunately result in Embiid missing even more time than he already has.

The altercation began with Embiid confronting Hayes as reporters entered the locker room, according to ESPN, saying “the next time you bring up my dead brother and my son again, you are going to see what I’m going to do to you and I’m going to have to … live with the consequences.”

The NBA is investigating what happened, a league spokesperson told ESPN’s Shams Charania. There hasn’t been mention of discipline for Embiid yet, though that’s completely within the realm of possibility and maybe even an expected consequence for his actions — just like Hayes getting shoved could have been an expected consequence for what he wrote.

Considering the personal nature of the column, Hayes is lucky things didn’t escalate further.

Using Embiid’s family the way Hayes did was disgusting and completely unnecessary for a critique about how much Embiid plays. I firmly believe in keeping your hands to yourself, but Embiid’s reaction is not hard to understand. If anything, it should be a lesson learned for the entire sports media industry that some things are off limits.

Hayes seemed to understand as much, apologizing on X for the Oct. 23 column just a few hours after it published and removing any mention of Embiid’s family. That it was possible to edit without changing the column proves how unnecessary that part was to begin with.

According to ESPN, Hayes also offered an apology to Embiid during Saturday’s altercation. Embiid, who previously addressed Hayes while talking to reporters Friday, saying “I’ve done way too much for this [expletive] city to be treated like this,” rejected the apology.

“That’s not the [expletive] first time,” Embiid said.

I’m not familiar enough with Hayes to know whether that’s true. But if the column does follow a similar pattern of behavior, Hayes needs to be held equally accountable as Embiid. If he can’t get his points across without personal attacks on athletes, the Inquirer should find a columnist who can.

Deshaun Watson era ends with as much angst as it started with

His time with the Browns, perhaps his career, is over. And it ended with as much anger and angst as it started with

The Deshaun Watson is over as the Cleveland Browns quarterback tore his achilles in the loss against the Cincinnati Bengals. And one thing is clear: it ended with as much angst and chaos as it started with.

When the Browns first acquired Watson from the Houston Texans, it caused a commotion on social media around Northeast Ohio and beyond. It caused beat writers and analysts to quit, placed protesters outside of the house of head coach Kevin Stefanski, and led to one of the most cringe-worthy press conferences we’ve ever witnessed as the team introduced their new quarterback.

Since the trade, Watson had not lived up to the hype. He has missed more games than he has started, has fallen near the bottom of the NFL in every quarterback metric in games he has played, and has soaked in all of the guaranteed money the Browns have given him.

Let’s face it. After another season-ending injury and subpar play, the Watson era is over. And his career might be over. While he will likely be back on the roster in 2025, it would be stunning to see him take another snap in a Cleveland Browns uniform.

And with that being the case, it ended just as horribly.

Not only was Watson booed when they introduced him during the pregame festivities, his first home game after a disappointing three-game road trip, but they booed him after his achilles shot up his calf. Leaving the field on a cart and in tears, this is how his time in Cleveland ends.

Browns players like Myles Garrett and Jameis Winston went after the fanbase for their reaction to one of their own getting hurt. Garrett even went as far as to say that the fans “should be ashamed of” themselves for their actions.

It’s been difficult to be a fan of this team over the last three seasons. It’s been difficult to cover them. It’s difficult for a player to defend one of their own against the very fans that love them. Every bit of this has been difficult since March of 2022. And it leads to mixed feelings, reactions, and decisions from every party involved.

There is a wedge between the players and the fans, and one that the organization largely forced on both parties.

Whatever is next for Watson, and it’s hard to see another team dialing his number based on his play on the field mixed with what has happened off of it, this exit sums up his time as a member of the Browns and the 2022-2024 era as a whole in Cleveland.

The Deshaun Watson era ends as horribly as it started.

Opinion: If the Saints will make a coaching change, now is the time

If the Saints are going to fire Dennis Allen and make a change in-season, now is the time to do it. The post-Thursday game break is an opportunity they can’t squander:

The New Orleans Saints dug their way to new depths in Thursday night’s lopsided 33-10 loss to Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos. They lost their fifth game in a row, their second loss by 20-plus points in just five days, and head coach Dennis Allen’s defense was criticized for quitting on him. It couldn’t be more obvious that now is the time to make a change.

Even with all the injuries and adversity, the buck stops with Allen, and his 18-23 record as their head coach speaks for itself. Taken with his Raiders  tenure, Allen’s 26-51 record all-but shouts. If the Saints are going to dismiss their head coach and name an interim to replace him during the season, the time to do it has arrived. They’re 2-5 after Week 7 for the second time in three years. Last year they peaked at 3-4.

Look at the schedule. The Saints will get a few days of extra rest before preparing for a road game with the 3-2 Los Angeles Chargers. After that they’ll return home and get ready for another away game, this time visiting the 1-5 Carolina Panthers. Then they get two home games with the 4-2 Atlanta Falcons and 1-5 Cleveland Browns before their real bye week. The NFL trade deadline slots in-between those Panthers and Falcons games, too.

Timing is everything in the NFL, and this is an opportunity they can’t squander. With ten days stretching between this blowout loss to the Broncos and an away game with the Chargers, it’s one of the best chances a new voice could have to resonate in the locker room. Whether that’s special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi or someone else on staff, an interim head coach would have time on their side to make meaningful changes and set a new tone.

But will the Saints take action? Tom Benson never fired a head coach in-season and there’s little to suggest Gayle Benson would sign off on it. General manager Mickey Loomis pinned his reputation to Allen when he chose to promote him to head coach and you have to wonder if he would willingly go down with that ship. Change feels inevitable for the Saints after this disastrous turn to the season. The only question should be when it happens,  and there’s no better time than right now.

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Opinion: Raiders’ trade demands are too steep for Saints to pay

The New Orleans Saints should move on from a Davante Adams trade rather than give in to the Raiders’ unreasonable demands:

We all know that one person in fantasy football who sends you trades that are obviously slanted. That’s the Las Vegas Raiders with Davante Adams. And it should be enough to push the New Orleans Saints into looking elsewhere for help.

It’s been widely reported the Raiders want a second-round draft pick at least, and they won’t take on any of Adams’ remaining salary. If the Raiders want to play hardball with what they’ll accept, the Saints should move on.

For New Orleans, neither parting ways with a second rounder nor taking on Adams’ big salary hit sounds desirable. It isn’t even realistic given their tight salary cap position. Adams is due about $12.5 million for the rest of the regular season and the Saints are under the cap by less than $4 million. However, it’s understood you may have to make sacrifices to get the trade done, and that’s something the Raiders aren’t currently accepting.

Per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, interested NFL teams are not willing to give up a second-round pick in addition to paying the entire salary. The Saints shouldn’t give in and give the Raiders everything they want.

The Saints have reportedly been more aggressive than any other team in pursuit of the wide receiver. Buckling to the Raiders’ demands would move them from aggressive to desperate. If taking on Adams’ salary is a part of the deal, the draft pick compensation should be lowered. Adams can stay in Vegas if the Raiders won’t bend on that.

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On ‘gun celebrations’ and the world we want to live in

New York #Jets WR Allen Lazard and South Carolina #Gamecocks DL Dylan Stewart sparked a dialogue about ‘gun celebrations’ in football.

Football is anything but a leisure sport. Violence is at its absolute core.

For some players, football is an outlet. It isn’t uncommon to hear from retired linemen about how they miss the physicality of the game, the feeling of being able to impose their will on other human beings on the gridiron.

None of this is new, and the urge to physically restrain or otherwise hinder the forward progress of another person is hardly unique to American football.

We humans fight wars, after all, and unspeakable acts are committed by people every day.

On Saturday, South Carolina Gamecocks defender Dylan Stewart was flagged for a celebration wherein he pantomimed shooting Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Jaxon Dart, who was lying defenseless on the field.

Stewart’s incident occurred after New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard was penalized and fined for a finger-gun celebration in Week 4 against the Denver Broncos.

In a vacuum, maybe this is acceptable – or at least understandable – behavior.

Perhaps Stewart, who is 19 years old, just got caught up in the moment and was emulating behavior he had seen from other people who were caught up in a moment, too.

Perhaps Lazard, nearly a decade Stewart’s senior, was merely intending to signal a first down, and his outstretched fingers and hand motions were perceived the wrong way by the referee on the field and the NFL officials who fined him.

And, perhaps nobody was hurt by either celebration, and neither deserved to be penalized for their actions.

As a football blogger, it isn’t my place to say where the line between celebration and offensive conduct is. Far be it from me to say that someone should be suspended, or fined, or even that they should get a stern talking-to from a coach on the sideline.

Those decisions are well above my pay grade.

But, as an American, it seems at least a little odd that there is a conversation to be had about this “gun celebration” business anyway.

Guns, their use, and our right to own them, are wholly pervasive in our culture. Our right to own them, in particular, is enshrined in our constitution, which was written by people with far more vision than me.

To be clear, Stewart’s infraction against Ole Miss was far more egregious than Lazard’s. To mimic “emptying the clip” into an opponent is a far more demonstrative action than merely “shooting” finger guns to indicate a first down.

But, at their core, these celebrations serve a similar purpose: to introduce “guns” into a game that, even to its detriment at times, is more than violent enough.

I’m not here to tell you what to think about either celebration, let alone what you should think about guns, firearm culture, or our right in the United States to bear arms.

Rather, I think the fascination with violence (or perceived violence) as a form of celebration is more at issue.

Is it ever appropriate to celebrate an achievement with a real firearm?

Is it ever appropriate to celebrate an achievement with a fake firearm?

What message does it send that, in a moment of ecstasy after making a crucial play, that any celebration would involve an imaginary firearm?

In my usual role over at Chiefs Wire, I covered Kansas City’s Super Bowl LVIII parade, where one person was killed and 33 people were injured after a mass shooting took place at Union Station in my hometown.

A day that should have been about celebration and achievement turned disastrous and deadly when real guns were introduced into the equation.

In a country where tens of thousands of people die at the end of a gun’s barrel (the majority self-inflicted) every year, why is it that these tools are part of any celebration at all, ever?

These are questions that, again, go well beyond my pay grade.

America’s identity is already at the center of every political advertisement you’ll see over the next month and, in an election year, the last thing this writer wants to do is ask people to re-evaluate their stance on guns.

But, as Americans, we have a choice to let this aspect of our culture live or die.

The Browns cannot be taken seriously until they bench Deshaun Watson

Until the Browns decide to move on, it is going to be more of the same.

How much longer can the Cleveland Browns keep the Deshaun Watson experiment alive?

Forget about the cap space, forget about the dead money, forget about the implications for a moment. How can head coach Kevin Stefanski continue to go into his locker room and look his veteran leaders in the eye as he trots out a quarterback they have little hope of building anything sustainable with offensively?

The veterans are going to quit. Perhaps they have already started to given the performance of wide receiver Amari Cooper and more. What incentive does defensive end Myles Garrett have to continue to play through injury? Why would Nick Chubb want to rush back onto the field if this is the product the Browns are going to put on the field?

After another abysmal showing against the Washington Commanders, how can Stefanski continue to put his job security on the line for Watson? Does he have a message from someone above him to stick with the quarterback he is becoming visibly and obviously upset with on the sideline?

It has not worked out with Watson. And someone will more than likely lose their job for it. But why does Stefanski have to make himself that martyr after running a fluent offense with a Day 3 rookie, a practice squad player, and a 40-year-old off the couch a year ago?

They will remain coy in their postgame press conference, but that locker room cannot be in a good place. And there is nothing the Browns can do about it to win it back until they start with their biggest mistake.

Their season is likely already over after a 1-4 start. Maybe they want to see it through with Watson at this point because the best that could happen is a shiny draft pick to potentially draft his heir apparent.

This, however, is a sure way to lose the respect of the veterans in the locker room and those who consume the product.

Lane Kiffin: Coach Florida fans crave, but a few factors tie him down at Ole Miss

All eyes are on Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin—an enticing candidate whose family ties and recent success may keep him from making the jump to the Gators.

Many believe that the Billy Napier era at Florida football has come to an end, which would conclude a three-season stretch marked by underwhelming performance and missed expectations.

The Gators skipper is not quite out the door but the fanbase nonetheless has been clamoring for a replacement since the Week 1 loss at home to the Miami Hurricanes.

Presumably, the program is now searching for a replacement head coach to get things moving back in the right direction. There have been a number of candidates that fans have been hoping Florida can reel in, but none are as big as Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin.

Who wouldn’t want a coach like Kiffin? He brings the swagger, the charisma, and most importantly, creativity on the offensive side of the ball.

USA TODAY Sports writer Blake Toppmeyer wrote about a scenario that Florida football fans are hoping would happen to make everything line up to hire Kiffin.

“Florida fans who crave Lane Kiffin as their coach need the Rebels to lose a few games between now and Thanksgiving,” Toppmeyer wrote. “It’s a fine line: Win enough to still look desirable, but lose enough for Ole Miss to miss the College Football Playoff and make Kiffin wonder whether he’s hit his ceiling with the Rebels and ought to uproot and resettle in The Swamp.”

However, it may not be realistic at this point. Of course, we all remember back in 2009 when he suddenly left the Tennessee Volunteers to be the head coach for the USC Trojans after just one season, but things are different now.

He’s been in Oxford, Mississippi, for five years and has really enjoyed his time with the Rebels. Kiffin has settled in, and with the success he has going for him currently, it just doesn’t make sense for him to leave that all behind and start all over again in trying to man a rebuild for school.

Kiffin also has family ties with Oxford. His oldest daughter, Landry, is currently attending Ole Miss as a sophomore, and has been loving it. In fact, back in 2022 when Kiffin was rumored as the next head coach for the Auburn Tigers, it was Landry who convinced him to stay.

ESPN senior writer Chris Low revealed what Kiffin’s daughter, Landry, did to get him to stay with the Rebels. 

Low wrote, “Kiffin was leaning toward taking the Auburn job toward the end of the 2022 season when Landry came to him with a heartfelt message. ‘You left me one time for another job when you went to Alabama, and now I’m here with you and you’re going to do it again?’ she asked her father.”

Low continued, “Landry and her friends created a slideshow, complete with music, showing all of them together with Kiffin at Ole Miss.”

It just doesn’t seem logical for Kiffin to leave a school that his family loves.

Having worked under Nick Saban with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Kiffin may have learned the value of stability and long-term growth within a program. He might believe that continuing to develop the Ole Miss program will be more rewarding than jumping to a program that is currently in turmoil.

Kiffin has significantly improved the Rebels football program, achieving two seasons with at least 10 wins in the last five years, with the potential for a third this season. He has completely turned that program around and has helped his team make a bowl game every year he’s been there.

And now with the growth of Ole Miss’ NIL program, “The Grove Collective”, it has provided advantages in terms of recruiting and creating a presence with the transfer portal. Kiffin wouldn’t just throw that all behind and start from scratch at a new program.

With the way things are going with Florida in terms of desperately getting that program back to the mountaintop of college football, there needs to be an understanding that it will most likely take Kiffin some time to rebuild the program which can create pressure to produce immediate results.

While the allure of Kiffin’s coaching prowess and charisma may captivate Florida fans, the strong connections he has established at Ole Miss—coupled with the program’s recent successes and the stability he has built—suggest that it would be more prudent for him to continue his journey with the Rebels rather than embark on a challenging rebuild in Gainesville.

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