Ranking Candidates to Replace Seahawks Offensive Coordinator Klint Kubiak

I hope you’ve enjoyed the Klint Kubiak era in Seattle, because it looks like it’s coming to an end after the Super Bowl. Per reports, the Raiders have already zeroed in on him as their new head coach, and it seems like he wants the job. Unfortunate, to be sure, but not unexpected, and it’s ultimately the cost of success in this league.

The question is, how do the Seahawks respond to this? They’re going to need a new offensive coordinator for the 2026 season, and many of their potential choices are off the board due to it being so late in the cycle. By the time the Kubiak hire is made official, it will have been nearly a month since teams started firing coaches and shuffling staffs.

Let’s do a rough, subjective ranking of the realistic candidates to replace Kubiak, while understanding that there’s a massive pool of potential coordinators and we can’t possibly cover all of them in one article. I know that there are going to be a series of names that get brought up frequently in the coming weeks, so let’s sort through them. From least to most desirable…

14: Ken Dorsey

I haven’t heard a ton of buzz here yet, but I suspect it’s coming given his history of calling plays for a successful Buffalo Bills offense. Of course, despite their nominal success, Dorsey was fired midway through his second season due to inconsistency, and the Buffalo offense reached new heights under Joe Brady. Dorsey, meanwhile, went one-and-done in Cleveland.

He’s coming off a very successful year as the passing game specialist for the Dallas Cowboys under Brian Schottenheimer, but how much of that success he owns is questionable. Add in his dependence on shotgun and run-pass options, which is not the kind of offense you want to be running with Seattle’s personnel, and it’s just not a fit at all.

13: Kliff Kingsbury

Still currently unemployed coming off a respectable couple of years as the playcaller with the Commanders, I know there will be some interest in him. But I can’t imagine a worse fit for the team’s current roster than Kliff Kingsbury, who runs a spread scheme that emphasizes the passing game and playing from the shotgun. Welcome back, Ryan Grubb.

I could see Kingsbury doing well with the right team, but this particular Seattle team needs to play from under center, run the ball, and look to hit big off play action. Even if Kingsbury could adjust his scheme, he probably doesn’t want to given the spread is how he made his name. We can definitely do better.

Kliff is a great coach, but wouldn't work with this set of players. — Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury on the sidelines against the Philadelphia Eagles. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

12: Greg Roman

Mostly known as an offensive coordinator for dual-threat quarterbacks, like Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco and Lamar Jackson in Baltimore. Roman has had some success, but that success tends to be fleeting, and he couldn’t catch on with the Chargers. However, it’s debatable how much of that should be blamed on him.

Roman does have a history of liking to run the ball, but I’m not sure his gap-heavy style is a good fit for what the Seahawks have built. I’m looking for something a little more dynamic here, preferably more Shanahan-like with outside zone runs, especially if the team keeps Ken Walker. Not a terrible fallback option, but I think the team can do better.

11/10: Jake Peetz/Justin Outten

I’m just not a big fan of the idea of an in-house hire. There’s a certain amount of laziness implied in just promoting someone who was already in the building, and even if that’s not entirely fair, Peetz and Outten are mystery boxes. Peetz has never called plays in the NFL, and Outten was a one-year coordinator in Denver under Nathaniel Hackett.

You’re betting a lot on guys who haven’t done it before in any meaningful capacity. Peetz had one forgettable year calling plays with the LSU Tigers in 2021 and Outten got a tiny bit of experience during the mess that was the 2022 Denver Broncos. Is this the risk we want to take with a team that is clearly of a Super Bowl caliber?

9: Hank Fraley

Was in the running for the job last offseason before the team went with Kubiak instead. You’re hoping he learned a lot from his time with Ben Johnson, but the fact that the Lions didn’t promote him to their own OC opening after Johnson left makes me believe he’s better off as an offensive line coach.

You could count on him to run the ball a lot, but I’m not sure it’d be the kind of rushing attack you want with an offense like this. For a team that will have very high aspirations for the 2026 season, we have to do better.

8: Nathan Scheelhaase

Intriguing McVay disciple, although the last time the Seahawks tried to get an unproven McVay underling there were mixed results. I’m not sure that’s a well the team wants to go back to, especially for someone who has never called plays in the NFL before. It’s also not clear if he’d take the job since the Rams are likely to offer him their own OC spot, just without playcalling.

There’s a belief around the league that Scheelhaase is the next young offensive wizard, so it wouldn’t shock me if the team sniffs around, but I want something a little bit more proven right now.

Peetz is your guy if you like in-house promotions. But I do not. — Los Angeles Rams pass game specialist Jake Peetz during the fourth quarter. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

7: Brian Callahan

We’re betting a lot on him simply being overwhelmed on an awful Titans team as head coach, because he didn’t call plays with the Cincinnati Bengals under Zac Taylor. He also might end up being a little too pass-happy for the way the Seahawks are currently built, although I do like his approach in other areas, like emphasis on play action and pre-snap motion.

Don’t forget how hot of a prospect Callahan was a couple years ago, and don’t be surprised if he was just walking into an impossible situation in Tennessee. This is one of those hires that would probably make a lot of people groan, but I would be relatively on-board for in this circumstance. He might even bring his dad over on the staff!

6: Klay Kubiak

A very cute idea, replacing Klint with his younger brother. And you’re not going to get a better pull off the Shanahan tree right now than the guy who is the current offensive coordinator under Kyle in San Francisco. I like the idea, but the lack of experience calling plays remains a concern, although that’s the case for most of these candidates.

5/4: Wes Phillips/Grant Udinski

Super young, fun to think about, come from good stock, but just a little too inexperienced to really get me excited. They’re younger, less-experienced versions of the two guys in the next section, really, so let’s just go to…

3/2: Adam Stenavich/Frank Smith

I’m surprised more people aren’t talking about Stenavich in recent times, although I understand that Green Bay’s offense hasn’t exactly blossomed the way people expected in the last couple seasons. Still, they’ve been good, and Stenavich has a real chance to be the latest piece of fruit from the Shanahan tree, as a long-time LaFleur disciple and four-year offensive coordinator.

The issue lies in how much responsibility he takes for that offense, as he’s not a playcaller. Same with Frank Smith of the Dolphins, who jumped to the Vikings after Mike McDaniel's firing but would probably take an OC job. The pedigree is there, the experience is there, they come from the right kind of system to line up, but it’s still a mystery box you have to open.

1: Arthur Smith

Now we’re cooking. To me, this is the only home run hire left on the board. While it was reported that Smith was taking the offensive coordinator job at Ohio State, he apparently hasn’t signed the contract yet, and even if he has it should be a trivial matter to buy him out even if he doesn’t have an NFL clause in it. You can bet he’d much rather be here than in college.

Smith was a great offensive coordinator in Tennessee, helping Ryan Tannehill play at an elite level and getting the team to an AFC Championship game. He couldn’t get out of the mud in Atlanta as a head coach, unable to land the right quarterback during his three year tenure. Pittsburgh saddled him with a limited, ill-fitting roster, and he still did passable work.

Smith loves to run the ball and hit play action, which I believe makes him the ideal fit for this team. He’d have the best quarterback he’s ever had in Sam Darnold, and the foundation to have the kind of success he had with the Titans. We know the Seahawks made a play for him two offseasons ago before losing out to the Steelers. Look for them to go for it again.

The Seahawks will not miss a beat if they can land Arthur Smith at OC. — Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith talks with quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8). | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images