Is the NFL's Coaching Market Shifting Away from Klint Kubiak?
Klint Kubiak’s name has been buzzing around the NFL ever since the regular season wrapped. The 38-year-old offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks has been linked to six of the nine head coaching vacancies, and for a while, it looked like he was all but guaranteed to land one of them. But as the coaching carousel picks up speed, the momentum behind Kubiak’s candidacy seems to be slowing-at least for now.
One of the more telling signs came out of Atlanta, where the Falcons are reportedly zeroing in on former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski. That development alone doesn’t close the door on Kubiak’s head coaching prospects, but it does suggest that the league’s current hiring cycle might be tilting toward candidates with prior head coaching experience. And that’s a lane Kubiak doesn’t occupy.
That said, Kubiak’s full attention isn’t on the job market right now. He’s got a playoff game to prepare for-Seattle heads into a tough matchup against the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night.
Complicating matters, quarterback Sam Darnold is nursing an oblique strain, forcing Kubiak to dig deep into his contingency plans. Whatever happens with his coaching future, his present is all about trying to outscheme one of the league’s best defenses.
A Shift Toward Experience?
If you listened to ESPN’s Saturday morning coverage, you heard the conversation shifting toward familiar names with head coaching backgrounds. Vance Joseph in Denver and Robert Saleh in San Francisco were both mentioned as top candidates.
Both have worn the headset before. Kubiak hasn’t.
That’s not necessarily a deal-breaker, but it’s a trend worth watching. Especially when names like Davis Webb-Denver’s passing game coordinator-enter the conversation.
Webb has less experience than Kubiak and no head coaching background, yet he’s getting buzz. Then there’s the Las Vegas Raiders, who recently interviewed Kubiak and then followed that up by bringing in his younger brother, Klay, for a conversation.
Klay has even less coaching experience than Klint, but the Raiders clearly saw enough to warrant a meeting.
All of this adds to the uncertainty surrounding this year’s hiring cycle. Even the presumed sure thing-John Harbaugh to the New York Giants-has hit a snag. And until that domino falls, the rest of the market seems to be holding its breath.
The Clock Is Ticking
Historically, the week between the divisional round and the conference championships is when head coaching hires start flying off the board. If that timeline holds, we’re about to see a flurry of movement. And if the league is indeed leaning toward experienced hands this year, Kubiak might find himself on the outside looking in.
He’s not alone in that battle. Other offensive-minded former head coaches like Mike McDaniel, Mike McCarthy, Matt Nagy, and Kliff Kingsbury are all in the mix. That’s a crowded field, and all of them bring the kind of resume that owners and GMs might find more reassuring than a first-time head coach.
The NFL is a copycat league, and recent trends are hard to ignore. While young coordinators like Seattle’s Mike Macdonald and Chicago’s Ben Johnson have made waves, teams are also seeing the value in giving experienced coaches a second shot-just look at what Sean Payton and Mike Vrabel have done in their second go-arounds.
What It Means for Seattle
So where does this leave Klint Kubiak? Still in the mix, but maybe not the lock he seemed to be just a week ago. There’s still a strong chance he lands a head coaching gig-better than 50/50-but the field is tightening, and the preferences of hiring teams appear to be shifting.
That might not be great news for Kubiak, but it could be a win for the Seahawks. Since arriving in Seattle, he’s helped breathe life into an offense that had grown stale.
His ability to modernize the system and get production out of a patchwork quarterback situation has been impressive. If he sticks around for another year, the Seahawks could benefit from more continuity and another offseason to build on what he’s already started.
For now, though, Kubiak’s focus is where it needs to be-on the 49ers and the challenge ahead. The head coaching calls will come when they come. But if they don’t come this year, Seattle fans might just be the ones celebrating.