Former Seattle Seahawks rival expected to hire prized assistant Klint Kubiak

Ex-Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is calling the shots now, and he's got his eye on Seattle's most-sought after coordinator.

Oct 3, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) on the sideline before being inducted in the team’s ring of honor at halftime of a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The NFL is a brutal business in every way imaginable. Even before teams reach the top of the mountain, their competitors have already started eating away at the things that made them successful.

Every year the team that wins the Super Bowl inevitably sees several key free agents leave for other teams. Perhaps even more damaging is the brain drain that happens in the front office, with key assistant coaches getting snapped up by rivals before the playoffs are even over.

That seems to be at least partially the case for the Seattle Seahawks, whose coordinators have been getting a lot of interest for potential head coach jobs.

According to the latest rumors, former Atlanta Falcons quarterback and newly-named president of football operations Matt Ryan is expected to hire Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to be their next head coach.

Falcons expected to hire Klint Kubiak

Multiple people I’ve spoken with believe Matt Ryan will hire Klint Kubiak as the next Falcons Head Coach. Ties to the Shanahan tree and the perfect offense for Penix. 49ers Josh Williams is seen as the favorite for GM.

Waiting for Seahawks season to conclude out of respect.

— Chad Forbes (@NFLDraftBites) January 15, 2026

If it's true, it will amount to a massive blow for the Seahawks offense, which performed better this season than any time in the last 20 years.

Kubiak took a unit that finished the 2024 season ranked 18th in scoring and 14th in yardage and immediately turned them into an elite group - finishing the 2025 campaign ranked third in points per game and and eighth in yards.

Kubiak's best work was at the quarterback position, where he helped maximize the good things that Sam Darnold does on the field and minimized his weaknesses as much as possible. In the first half of the season Darnold was a legitimate MVP candidate before defenses switched up on him, leading to a slew of turnovers.

Despite the second-half dropoff from Darnold the Seahawks have continued winning. While much of that success is due to an elite defense, Seattle's offense has consistently managed to produce just enough even when Darnold is struggling with ball security.

The challenge that Kubiak will face in Atlanta is a relatively straight-forward one. The Falcons have the most physically gifted running back on the planet in BIjan Robinson, a solid offensive line and quality skill players elsewhere. If Kubiak can get ex-Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. playing at his best Atlanta may soon be a rising contender in the NFC.

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