Which Pass Game Coordinators Could Seahawks Pair With Hank Fraley?

Signs point to Hank Fraley as a front runner for the Seahawks offensive coordinator job. Who could be brought in as a veteran mentor to run the pass game?

Oct 9, 2022; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Scott Turner on the field before the game against the Tennessee Titans at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images / Brad Mills-Imagn Images

Now well into their third week in the search for a new offensive coordinator, the Seattle Seahawks have interviewed a trio of candidates twice and five candidates total, but coach Mike Macdonald and general manager John Schneider have yet to make a hire.

With other coordinator openings quickly being vouched for around the league, including the Bears, Lions, and Jets all being linked to other candidates, signs continue to point towards the Seahawks linking up with Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley. But a deal does not appear to be imminent either, in large part due to indications that the front office wants to pair him with a seasoned play caller who serves as the pass game coordinator.

That potential arrangement may be leading to a hitch in the negotiation process, as Fraley already has identified a number of pass game coordinator candidates that he believes would be the best fit to work with him and Seattle likely has a list of its own candidates.

Who would be the best option to join forces with Fraley to split offensive coordinator duties in 2025? Here are six options that would make the most sense based on experience, prior success, and prior connections to the Seahawks:

Scott Turner, Raiders Offensive Coordinator

Prior to Wednesday, Turner's name had not been floated as a possible fit with Fraley, but Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer name dropped him when reporting on Seattle's interest in "splitting" the offensive coordinator job between two coaches. With five years under his belt as an NFL offensive coordinator after learning from his father, long-time coordinator Norv Turner, he would certainly check off the experience box that the team looks to be seeking.

A 13-year coaching veteran in the league, Turner also has six years of experience as a quarterback coach and two years as a passing game coordinator, offering the well-rounded resume that Macdonald and Schneider would prefer to have for a coach to support a first-time coordinator in Fraley. Adding to the intrigue, he and Fraley coached together on the same staff with the Vikings from 2014 to 2016, so they already have a built in connection that should ease the transition process.

Byron Leftwich, Former Buccaneers Offensive Coordinator

Leftwich has been out of the NFL for two years since Tampa Bay dismissed him after the 2022 season, but with a Super Bowl ring and three top-five scoring offenses on his resume, he's as decorated of a candidate as available on the market right now. Seattle already has shown interest by interviewing him for the offensive coordinator vacancy, but part of that decision may have been investigating the possibility of offering him a pass game coordinator position.

Few coaches have found more success than Leftwich did as the architect of a potent Buccaneers passing attack from 2019 to 2022, as the team finished in the top three in passing offense each of those four seasons with Jameis Winston and Tom Brady under center running his scheme. In theory, combining his pass game acumen with a run-centric, offensive line-minded coach in Fraley would have a chance to create a dynamic offense if they were able to mesh, though marrying their vastly different philosophies could be tricky.

Ken Dorsey, Former Bills/Browns Offensive Coordinator

A former NFL quarterback like Leftwich, Dorsey climbed up the ladder with eight seasons as a quarterback coach in Carolina and Buffalo before finally being elevated to offensive coordinator in 2022 as a replacement for Brian Daboll. In two seasons calling plays, the Bills finished second and sixth in the NFL in scoring and ranked in the top-10 in both passing and rushing offense, but that wasn't enough to save his job with the unit fizzling in the playoffs in 2023.

Once viewed as a fast rising head coaching candidate, Dorsey's star isn't shining near as bright after a dreadful season as the Browns coordinator where the team finished dead last in points. But in his defense, he was trying to run an offense with the likes of Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and Bailey Zappe at quarterback, and given his overall body of work, he would be an intriguing rebound candidate working alongside Fraley with a steady veteran quarterback in Geno Smith.

Thomas Brown, Former Bears Interim Coach

In terms of versatility, Brown has worn as many hats as any assistant coach in the NFL over the past decade, coaching running backs and tight ends while also being an offensive coordinator for two teams and serving as an interim head coach in Chicago last season. Like Leftwich, the Seahawks have already shown interest in him by interviewing him for their offensive coordinator vacancy, so he has been on Macdonald's radar during this process.

As a former running back, his fit may seem questionable if Seattle desires a pass game coordinator, especially considering the Panthers and Bears finished 31st or worse in passing offense in his two seasons as an offensive coordinator. However, he didn't actually call plays in Carolina, as coach Frank Reich held that responsibility, and Chicago scored nearly four points per game more in the games he coordinated than his predecessor Shane Waldron, so he's certainly worth a look.

Grant Udinski, Vikings Assistant Quarterbacks Coach

Though he's only 28 years old, Udinski has been a popular interview candidate this coaching cycle, interviewing twice with the Seahawks as well as the Patriots before they brought back coordinator Josh McDaniels. Viewed as an offensive wunderkind with extraordinary photographic memory, he played a key role in Sam Darnold's breakout season for the Vikings last year as an assistant quarterback coach/assistant offensive coordinator on Kevin O'Connell's staff last season.

If there's a reason for reservation on the possibility of hiring both Fraley and Udinski, the latter has never been a pass game coordinator and has only five years of NFL coaching experience under his belt, so he wouldn't fit the veteran play caller requirement for Macdonald and Schneider. At the same time, however, if he impressed enough in interviews and looks ready to take the next step up the coaching ladder, he may have the highest ceiling of any candidate on this list.

Antwaan Randle El, Lions Receivers Coach

Coming from Detroit, Fraley may want to bring at least one assistant he has worked with along for the ride, and Randle El's name has been floated as a pass game coordinator candidate ever since the Seahawks met with Fraley on January 10. Under his tutelage, Amon-Ra St. Brown developed into an All-Pro receiver, while Jameson Williams eclipsed 1,000 yards for the first time in 2024 while also scoring seven touchdowns, a sign that the former Steelers standout is ready for a new challenge and could have the coaching chops to be a great coordinator down the line.

But if Udinksi is viewed as a ripe coordinator candidate, Randle El is beyond raw. Aside from two years as an offensive assistant in Tampa Bay, he has been Detroit's receivers coach each of the past four seasons, offering no experience as a quality control coach or pass game coordinator. Due to their familiarity working together under Dan Campbell, Fraley could be pushing for his friend behind the scenes, but it would be understandable why Seattle would have reservations about hiring two coaches who have not been coordinators to work together in tandem.

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