The Seattle Seahawks are heading back to the Super Bowl, and they punched their ticket in dramatic fashion. In a tightly contested NFC Championship game that lived up to its billing, Seattle outlasted a team led by the quarterback who's widely considered the frontrunner for the 2025-26 MVP. With Tom Brady on the call, fans got a front-row seat to a chess match between two elite squads-and a breakout moment for a Seahawks offense that’s peaking at the right time.
At the heart of Seattle’s offensive resurgence is Klint Kubiak, the team’s offensive coordinator. What Kubiak has done with this unit deserves serious recognition.
He’s taken Sam Darnold-a quarterback many had written off-and turned him into a poised, confident leader capable of executing in high-pressure moments. And then there’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who under Kubiak’s guidance has blossomed into one of the league’s most dynamic wideouts.
We're talking top-three in the game territory.
Kubiak’s fingerprints were all over this NFC title win. His play-calling was sharp, creative, and perfectly timed.
One sequence, in particular, caught the attention of Brady during the broadcast. With the Rams’ defensive front turning up the heat, Kubiak dialed up a play that flipped the script-taking advantage of their over-aggressiveness.
He lined up Smith-Njigba in the backfield, creating confusion in coverage, and Darnold delivered a strike. It was a beautifully designed play that highlighted Kubiak’s feel for the moment and his ability to stay one step ahead of the defense.
“Such a great play call by Klint Kubiak,” Brady said during the broadcast. “He understands that now, for the first time, the Rams’ D-line is like, let’s be super aggressive and try to make a big stop.
Next thing you know, they take advantage of the overaggressiveness and the rush, and they lose coming out of the backfield. Good design.
You saw it with Klint Kubiak putting Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the backfield. Great throw by Darnold, and great job by Kubiak dialing that up.”
Brady continued, “Kubiak designed some great plays, getting his guys open. And then Darnold just executing everything.”
It’s no surprise that Kubiak’s name is now circulating in head coaching conversations. He’s had to wait his turn, but his work this season-especially down the stretch-has made him one of the hottest names on the coaching carousel. The Las Vegas Raiders are among the teams still searching for their next head coach, and Kubiak’s resume is looking stronger by the week.
While Brady can’t publicly comment on anything Raiders-related during broadcasts due to his ownership stake, there’s no question he’s still very much involved behind the scenes. Raiders general manager John Spytek recently shed some light on their working relationship.
“I talk to him a lot. He's aware of what we're doing,” Spytek said.
“I don't bore him with the mundane transactions or all that, but any big decision, I've talked to him about. Any vision, I've talked to him about.
He's a great resource for me. He's a great partner in this for me.
I would be not doing a good job and be a fool if I didn't talk to him. He's been supportive of me.
He can't be here every day right now, but I promise you I talk to him a lot, and he and I are on the same page.”
As the Seahawks gear up for the Super Bowl, the buzz around Kubiak isn’t going anywhere. He’s proven he can scheme with the best of them, elevate his players, and deliver when it matters most. Whether he ends up leading his own team next season or continues to build something special in Seattle, one thing’s clear: Klint Kubiak has arrived.