Win or Lose, Super Bowl LX May Save Seahawks From Losing OC Klint Kubiak

It's been a record-breaking year for the Seattle Seahawks, setting franchise records in regular-season wins (14) and, offensively, in points scored (483). Coupled with the league's best defense, the Seahawks earned their first Super Bowl berth since 2015.

But even before winning the NFC Championship, teams around the NFL were scouting Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as a potential head coach. And if Seattle wasn't headed to Santa Clara in two weeks, they might not still have him on the staff.

Even at this point, there remains a chance that Kubiak won't be on Mike Macdonald's staff when the 2026-27 season kicks off. The chances are just much lower than they were previously.

Kubiak's options becoming limited

Only three head coach openings remain: the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders.

Of those three, only the Cardinals and Raiders can talk to Kubiak during the Super Bowl bye week (structured as Jan. 26 - Feb. 1), as they have already conducted an initial interview with the Seahawks OC.

However, the Raiders and Cardinals have already begun scheduling second interviews with other candidates. Kubiak may not have one lined up due to timing conflicts with the NFC Championship, but that's an unknown.

The Raiders have been the front-runner to land Kubiak, but NFL teams often don't like to wait until after the Super Bowl — restricting their options and potentially leaving them without one of their first two picks. A run at an NFL title also increases the chances that a coach may simply not want to leave their current position, even if it's a promotion with another franchise.

So, the timeline is constricted. And the Browns, considering they didn't even do an initial interview with Kubiak, seem far-fetched at this point.

Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) celebrates with the trophy on the podium after defeating the Los Angeles Rams in the 2026 NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

There's also the fact that the Cardinals and Raiders jobs aren't exactly favorable. Kubiak has seen firsthand how difficult the NFC West is, and going to Arizona means a massive rebuild with a franchise that didn't give Jonathan Gannon more than three seasons to try and turn it around.

The Raiders' roster might be even worse outside of their few star players, and they've had 14 different head coaches since 2000. Las Vegas resides in the AFC West, which still has an Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs team, the Chargers and Jim Harbaugh, and the AFC runners-up Broncos and Sean Payton.

Thus, even if Kubiak is offered a job, he may just want to wait till the next head coaching cycle rolls around. Sometimes coaches should wait for the right opportunity instead of the first one, especially in the NFL, where franchises typically expect instant results.

Mike Macdonald, who is headed to a Super Bowl in just his second season with Seattle, was a unique case, but he also inherited a 9-8 team from Pete Carroll that already had talent. He and general manager John Schneider just had to round out the edges and reinstate a winning culture.

Kubiak, at this point, could be dealt a bottom feeder that is trying to advance back to NFL relevance.

Kubiak's options becoming limited

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