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This kind of goes back to my thoughts that there are two people in this administration who cannot loose (and Trump cannot afford to loose). Mattis and Kelly. Mattis is the glue that holds the line together with the military. Don't think you'll find anyone better or more respected unless you can convince Powell to return (won't happen). Kelly looks haggard as his tour goes on, and the more folks mess with him in the WH itself, he's learned the "rules" and how to accomplish the mission without assistance. I don't think Trump would find anyone more professional for the position than Kelly, but I don't make the decisions.

I see what you mean Master Chief, but the talk of him leaving was long in the making, and he didn't want the job in the first place. He was notably happy in his position as head of DHS. That was on all the major news outlets to include conservative ones. I remember reading about the trifecta of Tillerson, Kelly, and Mattis with the mantra of "If one goes, we all go". Tillerson is gone, Kelly will more than likely leave, and Mattis is the last wild card.
I'm going to say something that will read all kinds of screwed up, but Kelly doesn't seem the type who suffers fools (that one like is going to cost me because it implies I think Trump is a fool). I don't think he's a fool, but I'm not sold on him being the right man for the job; he was just better than what the Dems had to offer. He was a lot like McMaster in that he works for the mission, gets his left and rights ID'd, makes his OPLAN, and makes sure subordinates execute his vison for the mission. The loss of Kelly would be a very serious mistake for this administration, and the replacement names floating around would make Kelly seem like he was one step below Jesus for his attention to detail, apolitical sense of duty, and his intimate knowledge of chain of command when no one wants to have it.