Is it Baltimore or bust for Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak?

For nervous Seattle Seahawk fans desperately hoping the team is able to retain promising first-year offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, there may only be one real threat remaining among the six teams still looking for a new head coach.

According to SI's Connor Orr, the Baltimore Ravens may be the only franchise remaining who has their eye still trained on Mike Macdonald's offensive play-caller.

Kubiak is one of the hottest candidates in this cycle, interviewing for no less than six of the openings to this point. He's yet to be scheduled for a second interview with anyone yet, but because the Seahawks are still alive and playing in the NFC championship game this Sunday no team can speak to him again until Monday the 26th at the earliest.

Most of the teams he's interviewed with have either hired their new guy (Atlanta, Miami, NY Giants), or are thought to be focused on other finalists. But the Ravens could be willing to wait until next week to get Kubiak in the building as they look to find John Harbaugh's replacement. Harbaugh was fired last week after 18 seasons in Baltimore.

BALTIMORE RAVENS, HEAD COACHING CANDIDATES INTERVIEWED SO FAR: Kubiak, Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator, Los Angeles Chargers; Nate Scheelhaase, passing-game coordinator, Los Angeles Rams; Anthony Weaver, defensive coordinator, Miami Dolphins; Joe Brady, offensive coordinator, Buffalo Bills.

"Kubiak and Minter have been my final two for this job since the beginning, and I’ve flip-flopped in various prediction pieces over the past few weeks. Both of these just make sense and as we’ve seen with the Dolphins’ hiring of Hafley, there is value in landing the ball in the middle of the fairway. Still, the idea that the Ravens will take a major QB-centric swing exists."
Connor Orr, SI

One of those "big swing" variables that surprisingly exists now - and one that could muddy the waters in regards to the Baltimore search - is the sudden availability of Buffalo's Sean McDermott, fired yesterday after nine seasons leading the Bills. While McDermott isn't the offensive mind Orr describes, he's a proven winner and just the type of steady, Harbaugh-like leader the Ravens have preferred in the past.

Keeping Kubiak for at least a second season in Seattle is viewed as a key piece of the championship window the Seahawks opened by going 14-3 this year. The hope is that the offense can make a similar second-year continuity leap in 2026 as the defense did under Mike Macdonald this season.

If Baltimore is the only remaining obstacle to that outcome, the Ravens’ search bears close watching. Should there be no clarity by the end of the weekend, particularly regarding Sean McDermott’s candidacy, Kubiak could remain a serious option as Baltimore looks to replace John Harbaugh.

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