Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak earns prestigious NFL quarter-pole award

Seattle Seahawks' first-year offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has been named Assistant Coach of the (Quarter) Year.

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws a pass against the Cardinals in Week 4. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sam Darnold's still got it, Grey Zabel is a rising rookie and Jaxon Smith-Njigba has ascended as one of the best receivers in the NFL. But lost in the Seattle Seahawks' surprising offensive performance that's helped them launch to a 3-1 start?

Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Until now, that is.

The Seahawks aren't exactly re-writing the offensive record books through four games. Boosted by a 44-point explosion in a rout of the hapless New Orleans Saints, they are 16th in the NFL in yards per game and seventh in points.

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But given the strength and consistency of Mike Macdonald's defense. the Seahawks' offense is playing its part - other than Darnold's ill-timed fumble in Week 1 - perfectly. A big part of that is the influence of first-year coordinator Kubiak.

He's getting his due respect, as in its quarter-pole awards Sports Illustrated named him a co-winner for Assistant Coach of the Year. Kubiak is sharing the honors with Jaguars' defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile and Eagles' special teams coach Michael Clay.

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Writes SI's Conor Orr of Kubiak:

"Kubiak is piloting the league’s No. 6 dropback EPA offense but, like Campinale, truly stands out when comparing his unit’s current success rate to what we saw a year ago. Mike Macdonald made the unorthodox move to push away his first-year offensive coordinator, Ryan Grubb, in favor of Kubiak, who, in fairness, had a similarly explosive start as the coordinator of the Saints in 2024. Darnold is third in quarterback success rate among every-down starters and sixth in EPA. However, that is only a small part of the equation, as Seattle’s offense has begun to match the defense’s layered complexities, making already talented stars such as Jaxon Smith-Njigba elite, game-altering prospects."

Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) runs against the Cardinals. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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