Analysis: 9 Offensive Coordinator Options Seahawks Should Consider
After parting ways with Brian Schottenheimer on Tuesday following three seasons with the team, the Seahawks now have an offensive coordinator vacancy to fill heading into the 2021 season.
Questions about coach Pete Carroll’s involvement in play calling and offensive philosophy may make some candidates pause while considering the position, but there’s no question Seattle offers an ideal opportunity with an abundance of talent on the offensive side of the football. Though he endured a challenging second half, Russell Wilson is still one of the best quarterbacks in football and threw 40 touchdown passes in 2020, while DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett both eclipsed 1,000 yards and remain under contract. There are some pieces up front along the offensive line as well, starting with veteran tackle Duane Brown and right guard Damien Lewis.
In the past, including most recently with Schottenheimer, Carroll has preferred offensive coordinators with a quarterback background to help bring out the best in Wilson. Could the Seahawks go that route again? Or will the desire for getting back to running the football lead to a different hire?
Here’s a look at nine candidates who could make sense as Seattle’s new play caller in 2021.
Quarterback-Centric Options
Shane Steichen/Pep Hamilton
In the win/loss column, the Chargers struggled to a 7-9 finish, leading to the firing of head coach Anthony Lynn. But despite the underwhelming record, rookie quarterback Justin Herbert thrived with an NFL record 31 touchdown passes and 4,336 passing yards. Playing key roles in his immediate success, Steichen and Hamilton deserve plenty of credit for their work with Herbert as offensive coordinator and quarterback coach respectively. In Steichen’s first season calling plays, the Chargers finished ninth in yards per game, sixth in passing yards per game, and 18th in scoring. Previously, he was a quarterback coach for four years and served as an offensive quality control coach with the Chargers and Browns. As for Hamilton, who offers 12 years of NFL coaching experience, he found success previously as an offensive coordinator for the Colts and helped develop Andrew Luck during his first three seasons. Both of these candidates could be intriguing options to help get Wilson back on track and already have been linked to the Seahawks.
Mike Kafka
After spending six NFL seasons with seven different teams, Kafka has quickly climbed up the coaching ranks. After a year as a graduate assistant at his alma mater Northwestern, he joined the Chiefs as an offensive quality control coach before being promoted to quarterbacks coach in 2018. This season, he also earned the title of passing game coordinator for the high-powered Chiefs, which has led to speculation he could be a possible head coaching candidate for the Eagles or another team. With only four seasons of coaching under his belt in the NFL and no prior play calling experience, this would be an outside-the-box hiring, especially for Carroll. But if he doesn’t get another opportunity elsewhere, the chance to coach Wilson and prove his play calling chops with a bevy of weapons at his disposal could be an ideal launching pad to eventually becoming a head coach in the league.
Dave Canales
If the Seahawks choose to promote from within – they haven’t done this with offensive coordinators, but certainly have elevated coaches at other staff positions under Carroll – then Canales would make a great deal of sense. Having been on the staff since 2010, he understands how Carroll wants the team’s offense to operate. He also offers plenty of versatility, as he has spent time as a receivers coach, quarterbacks coach, and most recently passing game coordinator in Seattle. Considering he already was involved with developing the passing game working alongside Schottenheimer, this may not be a move fans are super enthused about, but after interviewing for the Vanderbilt offensive coordinator position, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the organization stick with a familiar face who they may believe has earned this opportunity.
Doug Pederson
Recently fired by the Eagles, there are several reasons why Pederson coming to Seattle seems unlikely. First, he’s already been linked to the Jets’ head coach opening and other teams with vacancies may have interest in interviewing him in coming weeks. Second, Carroll may not have interest in bringing in such a high profile Super Bowl-winning coach who may not relegate to his authority well as a play caller. But if he doesn’t land another head coaching job in quick order and Carroll does have interest in bringing a former rival on board, Pederson grew up in the Pacific Northwest and has a strong track record dating back to his years as both a quarterbacks coach and an offensive coordinator for the Chiefs and his first three seasons at the helm for the Eagles. Given his reputation for offensive creativity and mixing in RPOs and play action passing concepts to go along with west coast principles, this could be a home run hire as long as he is given autonomy as a play caller.
Darrell Bevell
Fans will laugh at the notion of bringing back Bevell, who served as Seattle’s offensive coordinator from 2011 to 2017 before being fired and replaced by Schottenheimer. But for those who can’t remember, during a five-year stretch from 2012 to 2016, the Seahawks finished in the top six in scoring every single season with him calling the shots on the sideline. While his final season was a disaster on this front, which ultimately led to his dismissal, he knows how to architect a run game and utilize the play action passing game off of it. Having worked with Carroll and Wilson for more than half a decade, there’s a possibility a reunion could be a successful one for all parties, and the combination of Lockett and Metcalf would give him a better duo of receivers than he had at any point in his first stint. It’s a long shot but not impossible Seattle could look into this option.
Run Game-Centric Options
Mike McDaniel
It’s entirely possible the Seahawks could look at another 49ers assistant in Mike LaFleur, who serves as the team’s passing game coordinator and has past experience as a receivers coach. But if Carroll truly wants to return to Seattle’s old “ground and pound” ways, McDaniel would seem to be the better fit. Known in league circles for his incredible Xs and Os acumen, he has been San Francisco’s run game coordinator for the past four years and offers a diverse background previously working as a receivers coach for Washington and Cleveland as well as a running backs coach for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. An extension of coach Kyle Shanahan dating back to their time together with the Falcons, McDaniel has mastered all of the blocking schemes in the run game and played a crucial role in implementing all of the wrinkles that helped the 49ers finish second in rushing yards and first in rushing touchdowns in 2019. At times, Seattle’s run game has gone stale from a creativity standpoint and McDaniel would immediately fix that issue while also significantly weakening a bitter rival’s staff.
Aaron Kromer
Staying within the NFC West, Kromer would be another intriguing option for Carroll and the Seahawks to consider. Unlike McDaniel, he offers previous offensive coordinator experience, as he served the role under coach Marc Trestman with the Bears in 2013 and 2014. In his first season calling plays, Chicago finished second in the NFL in scoring and put up 40-plus points three times. The next year, the Bears dropped to 23rd and Trestman’s entire staff was let go after the season, but Kromer latched on as an offensive line coach with the Bills. Most recently, he filled the same role for the Rams, who have finished in the top 10 in rushing and scoring offense in three of his four seasons on the staff. This would be another smart hire in the sense that the Seahawks would be able to spice up their rushing attack and play action passing concepts to better support Wilson. If there are any questions that could make this a questionable fit, it would be whether or not he and offensive line coach Mike Solari could co-exist working on the same staff.
Tony Elliott
Typically, Carroll has preferred hiring coaches with ample NFL experience rather than dipping into the college ranks. But if he wants to buck that trend, Elliott has already been rumored as a possible candidate to take over as Seattle’s new play caller. Rising up the coaching ladder quickly, the former Clemson receiver spent five seasons as a receivers coach for South Carolina State and Furman before returning to his alma mater as running backs coach in 2011. He replaced Chad Morris as a co-offensive coordinator in 2015, helping lead the Tigers to a pair of national championships and earning the Broyles Award in 2017 as the nation’s top assistant coach. He became the program’s sole offensive coordinator in 2020 and Clemson again returned to the College Football Playoff. While he has never coached in the NFL, Elliott has helped develop impressive NFL-ready talent and proven he can coordinate a potent offense at one of college football’s blue bloods. It may be time for him to test the waters at the next level and his running back and receiver backgrounds would be enticing given the skill position talent in Seattle.
