As the NFL coaching carousel continues to spin, all eyes this weekend are on Klint Kubiak - the Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator who's suddenly become one of the hottest names on the market. Both the Las Vegas Raiders and Arizona Cardinals are still searching for their next head coach, and Kubiak has emerged as a top contender for both jobs.
Sources around the league say Kubiak is scheduled for second interviews with both teams this weekend - a critical step as organizations aim to lock in their hires before Super Bowl week takes over the NFL calendar. And while nothing is set in stone, there’s growing buzz that Kubiak may be leaning toward Las Vegas over Arizona, should he decide to leave Seattle.
According to league insider Jeremy Fowler, there’s a sense among NFL circles that the Raiders job is more appealing to Kubiak. That said, Fowler also notes that Kubiak hasn’t made any final decisions and could very well return to the Seahawks for another season.
This wouldn’t be surprising - Kubiak has bounced between teams in recent years and only recently moved his family to the Pacific Northwest. Uprooting again would require the right fit, both professionally and personally.
But the Raiders may represent that perfect fit. With the No. 1 overall pick in hand - widely expected to be used on quarterback Fernando Mendoza - and a roster that includes promising young talents like Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas is in a position to build something intriguing. Add in a healthy amount of cap space, and it’s easy to see why that job might be more enticing.
Arizona, meanwhile, presents a more complicated picture. While there are some offensive weapons in place, the quarterback situation is murkier, and the team has significantly less financial flexibility - roughly $50 million less in cap space compared to the Raiders. That kind of disparity can make a big difference for a coach looking to build a program from the ground up.
Still, ESPN’s Adam Schefter added fuel to the fire on Friday, saying on The Pat McAfee Show that Kubiak is “definitely getting” one of the two jobs. That would suggest his days in Seattle might be numbered, even if nothing can become official until after the Super Bowl due to league rules.
Until then, we’ll be watching closely. If either the Raiders or Cardinals move to hire someone else in the coming days, that could be our first real clue about where Kubiak is headed - or whether he’s staying put. But for now, he remains one of the most in-demand names on the coaching market, and the next few days could be pivotal in shaping not just his future, but the trajectory of two franchises looking to turn the page.