Seattle South, otherwise known as the Pete Carroll-era Las Vegas Raiders, is going through a tough time. Ex-Seattle Seahawks Carroll and Geno Smith, and others, haven’t been able to replicate even their middling successes together in Seattle with the silver and black this season.
Once again, the Raiders suffered a loss, this time in primetime on Monday night. Hurdling toward another basement finish in the AFC West, changes could be coming to Las Vegas.
Even with Carroll commanding the ship, it’s not overly surprising that his first season has been a struggle. But the depths of those struggles could mean the end of his tenure after just one season. While that would sting for Seahawks fans who enjoyed his tenure in Seattle, it’s his projected replacement that would be much more upsetting for the 12s.
What a Raiders reset would mean for Klint Kubiak’s future with Seattle Seahawks
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton suggested six sweeping changes the Raiders could make this offseason to begin their latest rebuilding efforts, and at the top of the list was firing Carroll after one season. However, Moton also suggested that his replacement also come from the Seattle pipeline via Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
“Instead of putting the future in Carroll's hands amid a disastrous season, team brass should allow general manager John Spytek to have input on a new head coaching hire,” Moton wrote. “... Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady should lead the charge for Klint Kubiak, who's the play-caller for the Seattle Seahawks' third-ranked scoring offense.”
Kubiak has been a boon for the Seattle offense, lifting the scoring offense from an 18th-place finish last season to third heading into Week 12 while also jumping from 14th in total offensive yards to 6th.
General manager John Schneider certainly helped by providing Kubiak with Sam Darnold at quarterback, investing in the offensive line with the selection of Grey Zabel, and signing veteran Cooper Kupp to help spur the breakout of Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Still, Kubiak’s balanced, West Coast offense has been one of the most impressive units in the NFL, even in weeks where everything doesn’t seem to go exactly right, such as last week’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Kubiak’s phone will ring with head coach job offers after the season if the offense continues its pace as expected.
Of course, a one-and-done season from Kubiak as the offensive mastermind in Seattle would be as bittersweet as it gets in the annual coaching carousel. Kubiak obviously has a strong bloodline in the NFL, which means big-time connections and a fast rise for the 38-year-old coach.
Still, it wouldn’t be overly surprising for Kubiak to jump at the first promotion opportunity. He’s spent each of the past four seasons with different franchises and hasn’t spent more than two seasons with any team save for the Denver Broncos as an offensive assistant from 2016-2018.
As for the 74-year-old Pete Carroll, he was probably always destined to be a bridge coach for Las Vegas, but Raiders leadership certainly didn’t expect an abysmal 2-8 record through mid-November. If Las Vegas’s struggles continue, it could mean a sour end to an otherwise legendary coaching career.