Chip Kelly is like many head coaches in college football trying to navigate the new world of NIL in relation to college athletics. However, he stands by the idea that college football players deserve the freedom to capitalize on opportunities presented to them.

In a sitdown with FOX’s Joel Klatt for the Big Noon Conversations series, Kelly outlined how 18-year-olds across the country have the opportunity to be a professional in other areas of life. For some reason, football has been the one area not allowing 18-year-olds to cash in.

“I think we let 18-year-old kids make decisions in so many other aspects of their life, but for some reason in college football we say they can’t,” said Kelly.

“No one has an issue (with 18-year-old professional baseball players), but they have a huge issue with it in football and I just don’t understand that. We don’t have an issue with it in the military… But we don’t think a kid should get NIL money because he has to pay taxes? People argue that.”

While Kelly stands by players getting opportunities, he said the job of coaches is to help young players navigate the discipline needed when freedom comes their way.

“What I think we have to teach these kids though is that with freedom and freedom of choices has to come discipline,” Kelly explained. “You have to be a pretty disciplined individual when you get a lot of freedom on your side.”