Stars Aligning For Seahawks to Land Hank Fraley as New Offensive Coordinator

Following a second interview with the Seahawks on Tuesday, the Seahawks should be well-positioned to hire Hank Fraley if they wish.

After interviewing with the Seahawks twice, Hank Fraley could be emerging as the favorite to become their offensive coordinator. / © Junfu Han via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Though his name has been linked to multiple teams over the past 48 hours, following a second interview with the Seattle Seahawks, dominos continue to fall in favor of Detroit Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley joining Mike Macdonald's staff as the new offensive coordinator.

After the Lions were eliminated from the playoffs on Saturday, the Seahawks aggressively pursued a second meeting as soon as NFL rules permitted with Fraley, this time interviewing him in person on Tuesday after a virtual discussion back on January 10. While the two sides convened, rumors circulated regarding his potential hiring as the offensive coordinator for head coach Ben Johnson with the Bears, while being elevated by the Lions to replace Johnson also remained a possibility.

But with the coaching carousel spinning at the speed of sound on Wednesday, Fraley's options away from the Pacific Northwest appear to be drying up, increasing the odds that Seattle will be able to hire him if he has surfaced as the top candidate to replace Ryan Grubb.

First, Bears reporter Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported on Wednesday afternoon that Johnson wasn't expected to bring Fraley along with him to the Windy City as the team's new offensive coordinator, which should not be a surprise given the fact he would not be calling plays in that situation. Shortly after, news broke that Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn had accepted the Jets' head coaching job and had sights on quarterback coach Mark Brunell to be the coordinator on his first coaching staff.

In addition, per a source that spoke with Seahawks On SI, Detroit coach Dan Campbell looks poised to promote passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand to offensive coordinator to succeed Johnson, staying in house with a different candidate than Fraley. Brunell has also been in consideration for that position as well.

Putting all the puzzle pieces together, Fraley's once bountiful number of options early in the coaching cycle has now shrunk substantially. Though it's possible Johnson or Glenn could pivot back to considering him if they aren't able to lock up their first choices, the probability of that happening seems slim, while Engstrand has been groomed under Johnson the past two years in an apprenticeship waiting for this moment.

Up to this point, Fraley has only interviewed with the Seahawks, who also met twice with Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and Vikings assistant quarterback coach Grant Udinski. Several other teams still need an offensive coordinator, including the Jaguars, Raiders, and Saints, who have yet to name a new head coach.

All three of those situations remain fluid and depending on who each organization hires as the new coach, Fraley could be in the hunt for play calling duties if he remains available. But none of those jobs offer the talent that the Seahawks currently have on their roster, including an established Pro Bowl quarterback in Geno Smith, two star receivers in DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and a pair of dynamic running backs in Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet.

With the jobs in Chicago, Detroit, and New York all seemingly vouched for, it's possible that if Seattle doesn't view Fraley as the top candidate over either Kubiak or Udinski that he would prefer to return to the Lions and maintain his offensive line coaching gig rather than take on the challenging task of coordinating offenses in Las Vegas or New Orleans with inferior personnel.

In that case, Macdonald and Schneider would appear to be practicing patience and thoroughness under the belief they will still be able to hire their top candidate without rushing into a decision. As of now, Kubiak and Udinski have yet to be hired by another team, so those alternatives remain very much on the table.

But as things stand, with the Seahawks not hiring Kubiak or Udinski to this point, fate appears to be driving the franchise towards choosing Fraley, whose track record as an elite line coach with a strong background in the run game lines up with Macdonald's vision of building a tough, physical offense. Having learned under Johnson, he should be well-equipped to make the jump to coordinator and has a sterling reputation as a coach players will run through a wall for, which should ease the transition winning over the locker room.

Assuming Tuesday's interview went well, as long as Fraley, Macdonald, and the rest of Seattle's decision makers can agree on a setup for a passing game coordinator to pair with him as a first-time play caller, everything is lining up for this courtship to turn into a job offer in quick order.

More Seahawks News

Clock Ticking For Seahawks to Land Desired Offensive Coordinator

Seahawks 2024 Season Awards: Surprise TE Wins Offensive Rookie of the Year

Seahawks, Lions O-Line Coach to Meet For Second Offensive Coordinator Interview

Ranking Seahawks Free Agents: Who Should Be Prioritized to Re-Sign?

Is Byron Leftwich Dark Horse to Land Seahawks' Offensive Coordinator Job?