Seahawks Analysis: 3 Potential Offensive Coordinators to Watch in Super Bowl LVIII
After reportedly hiring a new defensive coordinator on Friday, Mike Macdonald still has one major vacancy to fill on his first coaching staff with the Seattle Seahawks, as the team has yet to name a new offensive coordinator.
Since Seattle officially revealed Macdonald as the franchise's ninth coach on February 1, the team has been linked to several candidates, including former Washington offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and UCLA head coach Chip Kelly. However, to this point, no front-runners have emerged and with Kelly likely heading to Ohio State to take over as offensive coordinator in Columbus, it remains to be seen who will ultimately land the job.
While Grubb apparently hasn't been ruled out of the picture despite introducing himself as Alabama's offensive coordinator at a signing day event on Wednesday, it's possible the Seahawks have yet to hire a coordinator because they have a candidate in mind who will be coaching in Sunday's Super Bowl between the 49ers and Chiefs. Per NFL league rules, if they haven't already been spoken with, interviews with such candidates can't happen until after the big game.
If Seattle is playing the waiting game until Monday, which offensive coordinator candidates could they be monitoring in Sunday's title game? Here are three possible targets, including a former NFL quarterback on Kyle Shanahan's staff in San Francisco:
Joe Bleymaier, Chiefs Pass Game Coordinator
One of the architects of Kansas City's aerial attack in recent years, Bleymaier previously received the best praise possible from Reid in 2022, who lauded him for his behind-the-scenes work creating the team's innovative passing concepts. Given such a compliment, it shouldn't come as a surprise that he has rapidly ascended up Reid's staff in quick order, gaining invaluable experience as an offensive quality control coach before being promoted to assistant quarterback coach in 2018 and receiver coach in 2021. Regardless of the hat he's worn, he has done a fantastic job, and a strong argument can be made that drop issues for the Chiefs receivers this year happened in part because he no longer was the position coach.
Bleymaier has never been an offensive coordinator in the college or NFL ranks, but don't let that lack of experience fool you. He has been a right hand man for Reid this season as the pass game coordinator, actively being involved in building game plans and initiating in-game adjustments, which usually is the step right before being thrust into play calling duty. Offering a versatile coaching background and popular with players, he would be an intriguing fit for the Seahawks.
David Girardi, Chiefs QB Coach
Being a quarterbacks coach in Kansas City has been a quick ticket to coordinator and head coaching jobs since Reid took over in 2013. Following the footsteps of Matt Nagy, Eric Bieniemy, and Mike Kafka before him, Girardi has quickly worked up the coaching ladder under Reid's watch, transitioning from offensive quality control coach to assistant pass game coordinator to quarterbacks coach this season. Like Bleymaier, he has had a major hand in Kansas City's schematic innovation and game planning on offense and this year, he worked extensively with Patrick Mahomes as he threw 27 passing touchdowns to guide the team back to the Super Bowl.
For those questioning Bleymaier's readiness for an offensive coordinator gig, Girardi doesn't even have a season of pass game coordinator under his belt in comparison. Still, he has earned multiple promotions on Reid's staff while working alongside Bieniemy and Kafka and coupled with coaching defense in the past at Northwestern, his previous stint as a pass game analyst could be the crash course necessary to be ready for this opportunity in Seattle.
Brian Griese, 49ers QB Coach
After previously playing 11 seasons in the NFL and throwing 119 touchdown passes with four different teams, Griese exited the broadcast booth two years ago to join Kyle Shanahan's staff and embark on a coaching career. Interestingly, his arrival coincided with quarterback Brock Purdy coming on board as a seventh-round pick out of Iowa State and the former Michigan standout has done a masterful job helping transform his pupil into one of the NFL's best young signal callers. Under his tutelage, Purdy threw for 4,281 yards and 31 touchdowns in his first full season as a starter, finishing fourth in MVP voting and making his first Pro Bowl roster.
Having spent the majority of his post-playing career working as a color commentator, Griese would be a major roll of the dice given his limited coaching background and the fact he has never been a play caller at any level. However, his extensive starting experience as an NFL quarterback in multiple systems and past two seasons working with Shanahan and a top-tier staff may be more than enough preparation for him to be successful as Seattle's coordinator if interested in the position.
