Multiple outlets are reporting that the Las Vegas Raiders and Klint Kubiak are going to come to an agreement for him to be the next head coach of the struggling franchise. This would mark the second straight year the Raiders tapped a former Seahawks coach to be their head man. Kubiak, though, is about as different from Pete Carroll as possible. Young, offensive-minded, and subdued, Kubiak will walk into a situation with the top overall pick that could be used on a quarterback to build around, as well as a significant chunk of cap space. There had been some question about whether Kubiak would leave Seattle and move his family again, but those questions appear to have been answered. Seattle now faces a potentially difficult situation where they will be late to dip into the offensive coordinator market after the Super Bowl.
This will be the third straight season Mike Macdonald will need to hire a new offensive coordinator. His first season as the head coach came at a similarly late time in the hiring cycle when the Baltimore Ravens were eliminated in the AFC Conference Championship. There is belief that timing contributed to a somewhat rushed process that resulted in a hire of Ryan Grubb that Macdonald took at least somewhat on faith, as the two had not crossed paths much and Grubb had a history of being heavily pass-oriented. That marriage didn’t last past one season, and Macdonald was far more deliberate about his hiring process this past offseason.
The selection of Kubiak not only brought a coach with an aligned philosophy that centered around running the ball, but also an experienced staff who were capable of installing their system rapidly and with confidence. John Benton, Rick Dennison, Andrew Janocko, and Michael Byrne came with Kubiak from New Orleans, and had a huge impact on the offensive line, while making the job of the quarterback clear and consistent.
Janocko and Dennison were with Kubiak in Minnesota when he was the OC there in 2021. Benton joined Kubiak in New Orleans, but was not present in Minnesota. Byrne is a relatively new coach at the NFL level and has only been with Kubiak. He does have history at Pacific Lutheran University, so there are some northwest ties there.
Justin Outten is an interesting name here. He was the offensive coordinator in 2022 for the Denver Broncos when Kubiak was the passing game coordinator and QB coach. Outten is the run game coordinator and also the assistant offensive line coach. He stepped in to take over the running backs room when Kennedy Polamalu stepped away from the team this season. The run game took off almost immediately after that change occurred.
Outten worked for Nathaniel Hackett in Denver and was saddled with the disastrous season from Russell Wilson that resulted in an offense ranked dead last in points scored, and 21st in yards. Hackett was the play caller to start that season until he turned over play calling to Kubiak instead of Outten, despite Outten having the OC title. Outten called plays the final two games after Hackett was fired. It is worth noting the Broncos scored 24 and 31 points in those two games, and had a season-high 471 yards in the season finale.
Seattle will want to stabilize the staff as much as possible. Benton is the biggest question mark. Both the line in New Orleans and Seattle took big steps forward under his tutelage. Seattle has one of the youngest offensive lines in the NFL, and appears set up for a sustained run of quality line play.
Benton could find it appealing to stick with a group he has helped shape, and not have to uproot again. He may prefer to stick with Kubiak and get build another line in Vegas.
If Seattle considers Outten for the OC role, his relationship with Benton will also factor into the decision. The two have worked hand-in-hand all season with the line, so each will have a clear perspective on what their partnership could look like.
Dennison has a long history with the Kubiak family and would seem certain to go. Janocko would be a safe bet to move on as well to work with the top pick and possibly get the OC job under Kubiak.
The most worrisome scenario for Seattle would be if Kubiak offers Aden Durde the job as defensive coordinator. Durde does not have play calling duties in Seattle, so the team could not block his move to a team that was offering him that responsibility. The partnership between Durde and Macdonald has been foundational to the defense and to Macdonald’s comfort in Seattle. The two were fast friends, and have a lot of mutual respect.
Macdonald obviously is not going anywhere, so the defense would not be in trouble should Durde move on, but it would be a hit to the chemistry that had developed among the staff on that side of the ball the last two seasons.
Should Durde go as well, secondary coach Karl Scott becomes an appealing internal candidate, as does outside linebacker coach Chris Partridge.
The other internal OC candidate would be passing game coordinator Jake Peetz, who came as part of Grubb’s staff last season after working with Sean McVay. A partnership between Peetz (passing) and Outten (running) would make a lot of sense.
The team will almost certainly interview external candidates as well, but when you make a Super Bowl and set a franchise record for points with a young offensive roster, there is reason to try and introduce fewer variables to the mix.
Todd Monken, who Macdonald coached alongside in Baltimore was hired as the Brown new head coach. Greg Roman was the OC in Baltimore during Macdonald’s first season as DC and was there while Macdonald was coming up as young coach. He was fired by Jim Harbaugh after two seasons with the Chargers. He is reportedly interviewing for the Jets open OC spot.
Roman has a history of run-centric systems that date back to the Colin Kaepernick days in San Francisco under Harbaugh.
Grant Udinski was interviewed for the OC role last year before Kubiak got the job. He has been a candidate for head coaching roles but Jacksonville gave him a healthy raise to stay put. It’s possible Seattle could try to pry him away, but it’s not clear why he would take an OC job instead of staying when he chose Jacksonville over head coaching opportunities.
Hank Fraley was interviewed last year as well, and is an offensive line coach. He remained with the Lions, and might be an option if Seattle goes external.
Mike Kafka is a coach who John Schneider has expressed interest in multiple times. He was candidate for the head coaching role before Macdonald was hired. Seattle was denied the chance to interview him for the OC role last year by the Giants. He was recently hired as a to-be-determined offensive role with the Lions. There might be an opportunity to bring him in as well.
Arthur Smith is another offensive coach who has been linked to Macdonald in the past. He was the head coach for the Falcons for a few years and then the OC in Pittsburgh. He was recently hired by Ohio State as their OC. That should not keep him from taking a Seattle role if there is mutual interest.
One interesting option for Seattle would be to go after Kubiak’s brother, who is the OC in San Francisco. He does not have play calling duties, so the 49ers could not block the move.
Knowing Seattle has been successful on offense this year and is getting a late start on the offseason process due to the Super Bowl, hiring internally would seem to make the most sense. A protracted hiring process while also figuring out free agency and the draft would not be ideal. There is some value in coaches who were already vetted last season to shorten that process if they do go external.
The best news here is that Macdonald has a much more clear picture of what he wants and what works (and doesn’t) on offense than when he started last season. His ability to assess what the team needs and who fits in the building should make this a more efficient decision than it would have been a year ago.
The official word on Kubiak will not come until after the Super Bowl. Seattle will do everything they can to keep focus on the game. It will be challenging for Kubiak and the coaches who may come with him to avoid the temptation to look ahead. Seahawks fans have to hope they complete their mission.