A month ago, when analysts were beginning serious speculation about what coaching moves NFL teams would make this offseason, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak would be leaving the Seahawks in 2026. He was the thing every NFL team owner craves – the hot, young offensive genius.
However, as the head coaching jobs are being filled, Kubiak’s name has been virtually invisible. Six of the ten vacancies have now been filled, and Kubiak has not yet taken his spot.
The situation came into focus when his younger brother, Klay, got a couple of interviews for the top spots in Las Vegas and Pittsburgh. Klay has opted to remain with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco for at least one more season, but the symbolism was hard to ignore. Pittsburgh didn’t even interview Klint.
What happened to Seattle Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak’s chances of becoming a head coach?
None of this means Klint Kubiak will be back with the Seahawks in 2026. In fact, according to at least one prognosticator, Klint remains the clear frontrunner for one of the remaining four jobs. But it hasn’t happened yet, and the options are dwindling.
In a very real sense, Kubiak has been hurt by his own success. This is not uncommon. The hottest coordinators in any given cycle tend to be the ones from the league’s best teams. Their teams go to the playoffs. They make deep runs. That ties up the coach. He still has a very important job to do for his current club. Interviewing for new jobs with other organizations has to wait.
But NFL owners are not known for their patience. As candidates get scooped up by other franchises, it may be hard to wait out Seattle’s playoff run.
Of the four remaining teams in the hunt for a head coach, two have either interviewed Kubiak or scheduled an interview. The other two – Cleveland and Buffalo – have not expressed interest as yet.
Buffalo is a bit of a wild card, having only been in the market for a week after the surprising dismissal of Sean McDermott. They have already been linked to at least eight potential replacements. None of the announced names are still coaching teams in the playoffs, and perhaps they do indeed have their eyes on someone like Kubiak once Seattle’s run ends.
The other team that does not appear to be in the Kubiak sweepstakes is Cleveland, and well, it’s Cleveland. Anything is possible, but Kubiak-to-Cleveland seems about as likely as Ryan Grubb returning to replace Kubiak in Seattle.
Arizona had scheduled an interview with the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator, but recent reports suggest they are focusing on several other candidates as of now. Most of the names that have been mentioned come from the defensive side of the ball.
The major exception is Mike LaFleur, Rams’ offensive coordinator. He is in the same boat as Kubiak. His team is still alive. If the Cardinals are pursuing LaFleur ahead of Kubiak, that cannot be explained away by availability.
That leaves the Las Vegas Raiders. I wouldn’t wish that job on anyone, but there is some talent in Mark Davis’ club. And Tom Brady, and the number one pick in the upcoming draft.
But there’s also Mark Davis.
Still, if you believe Oddschecker.com, Klint Kubiak is the Raiders’ first choice to be their next head coach. It’s fair to say that there is at least a fifty-fifty chance at this point.
But here’s the thing. Denver’s pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Davis Webb, is also in the running. What happens if Denver loses on Sunday and Seattle wins? Webb is immediately free while Kubiak remains tied up for a few more weeks. Do Davis and Brady wait? Or do they convince themselves that Davis Webb is indeed the man for the job?
If that happens, then Klint Kubiak is likely to return to Seattle next year. That’s risky for a coach, because you never know what may happen in a given season, but it didn’t seem to hurt Ben Johnson when he returned to Detroit in 2024. He still got his head coaching gig the following year. Perhaps that is Klint Kubiak’s trajectory as well. Either way, we’ll find out about 2026 soon enough.