The Seattle Seahawks don't have time to focus on anything other than taking down the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday. However, as much as they want to shut down the outside noise, that might not be possible right now.
The Seahawks have several candidates for promotions in their coaching staff. All things considered, it's almost impossible to believe that Mike Macdonald will be able to retain all of his assistant coaches for next season.
That's especially the case with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. He's been a hot commodity in the league for most of the season, and according to NFL pundit Chad Forbes of NFL Draft Bites, he's the leading candidate for the Atlanta Falcons' head coach position.
Seattle Seahawks' Klint Kubiak is leading the race for the Atlanta Falcons' HC job
"Multiple people I’ve spoken with believe Matt Ryan will hire Klint Kubiak as the next Falcons Head Coach," Forbes wrote on X. "Ties to the Shanahan tree and the perfect offense for Penix. 49ers Josh Williams is seen as the favorite for GM. Waiting for Seahawks season to conclude out of respect."
The catch here is that Forbes is not always a reliable source. He might be right with the Kubiak news, or he might simply have no idea at all.
Truth be told, though, Kubiak to Atlanta is far from a surprise. Kubiak has established himself as one of the most respected young offensive coordinators in the game, and with the league transitioning to a new era of creative and more inexperienced coaches, he was always expected to fetch plenty of interest in this hiring cycle.
With him calling the shots, the Seahawks ranked third in points per game (28.4), seventh in total yards per game (362.3), and eighth in passing yards per game (228.1). Notably, that's despite having the second-most turnovers in the league (28) and having Sam Darnold turn the ball over 20 times.
The Falcons have a plethora of young talent on offense. Even if they let Kyle Pitts walk, they can still build an outstanding offense around two elite pieces like Bijan Robinson and Drake London.
As for Michael Penix Jr., there are plenty of doubts about him, his durability, and his ability to lead the team. Then again, giving him a young, offensive-minded head coach who runs an offense that suits him might be the best way to figure out whether he can be their guy or not.
Losing Kubiak would be a massive blow to the Seattle Seahawks and their aspirations. Then again, that's just the price to pay for having one of the best coaching staffs in the game. And if the Seahawks go the distance and win the whole thing this season, it will certainly be worth it. Plus, Chad Forbes might not be correct about how the Falcons feel about Kubiak.