Cardinals Lose Out to Raiders for Klint Kubiak

The Arizona Cardinals now must move forward with their coaching search.

Sep 8, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak reacts against the Carolina Panthers during the pregame at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Arizona Cardinals, expectedly, are not going to be able to hire Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.

According to multiple reports, Kubiak will be heading to the Las Vegas Raiders once his Super Bowl run is complete. He can officially agree to be their next head coach on Feb. 9.

From ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter: "Source: After meeting Saturday with Las Vegas and Arizona, Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak intends to try to work out a deal to become the next head coach of the Raiders.

"No deal can be finalized until after the Super Bowl, but Klint Kubiak wants to coach the Raiders, and they want him to be their head coach. Now it’s only a matter of time before the two sides can formalize a deal."

The Cardinals and Raiders interviewed with Kubiak last night before he flew with the Seahawks down to San Francisco to prepare for the Super Bowl.

Kubiak led one of the league's best offenses in Seattle and now hopes to revamp a Raiders team that will own nearly $90 million in cap space for 2026 alongside the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which will likely be used on Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza.

As for the Cardinals, they'll have to shift their focus to other candidates. With Kubiak all but set to join Las Vegas, Arizona is the last team remaining without a head coach — a similar story back in 2023 before they hired Jonathan Gannon.

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But after three seasons, Gannon was fired — and the Cardinals have yet to find his replacement after several names have dropped off their list.

Arizona did spend multiple days with Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, who is the front-runner for the job thanks to his experience in the NFC West and time spent under Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan.

The Cardinals could also pivot to names such as former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris and former Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph was also a rumored name early in Arizona's process.

The Cardinals have just under a month to prepare for the upcoming NFL scouting combine with free agency kicking off just a few weeks after. Aligning themselves with a new head coach, whoever it may be, must be done sooner as opposed to later.

It just won't be Kubiak by the looks of it.