Lovie Smith quickly is becoming the odd man out in this offseason's frenzied head-coaching derby.
NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reports the former Bears coach isn't expected to take a defensive coordinator job and, with another year remaining on his contract with Chicago, likely will wait until 2014 to jump back into the NFL, per a source close to Smith.
With Chip Kelly going to the Philadelphia Eagles, only the Arizona Cardinals and Jacksonville Jaguars are left without a head coach.
Smith interviewed with the Eagles and later with the San Diego Chargers, but both teams bypassed him for offensive-minded coaches. That has been the trend this offseason, but trends tend to come full circle in the NFL, and Smith might be wise to take a sabbatical.
After all, Smith walked away from the Bears on the heels of a 10-6 campaign. His 81-63 regular-season record won't be forgotten a season from now, and Smith should re-emerge as a top candidate.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
