The Seattle Seahawks’ offensive breakout might come with a price. In a new NFL.com breakdown of the 2026 head-coach hiring cycle, offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is listed among 24 young coaches expected to draw interviews, putting him firmly on the league’s radar after Seattle’s 7-3 start.
With the Seahawks averaging 29.4 points per game, third-best in the NFL, and quarterback Sam Darnold sitting in the MVP conversation, teams looking for their next long-term leader are taking notice.
NFL Names Klint Kubiak One of the Top Young Head-Coach Candidates
NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero’s annual young-coaches list highlights assistants under 45 with no previous NFL head-coaching experience who could get serious consideration in the upcoming cycle. This year, Kubiak lands in the “candidates for the coming cycle” group, rather than the “future years” bucket.
Pelissero notes that Kubiak, 38, comes from a football family as the son of Super Bowl-winning coach Gary Kubiak and has already called plays at multiple NFL stops. He worked for the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints before landing in Seattle, where he’s now orchestrating one of the league’s most efficient attacks.
In his first season as Seahawks OC, Kubiak’s offense has:
- Helped Seattle reach 7-3, their best start since 2020.
- Produced 294 points in 10 games (29.4 per game), third in the NFL.
- Supported Darnold to 2,541 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and a 70.2% completion rate through 10 games.
Pelissero also points to Kubiak’s calm, low-key demeanor as a fit for the pressure of play-calling and notes that Seattle ranks near the top of the league in yards per play. The implication is clear: if the Seahawks keep scoring like this, Kubiak’s name will keep surfacing when teams start calling.
What Klint Kubiak’s Head-Coach Buzz Means for Seahawks and Sam Darnold
For Seattle, Kubiak’s rise is both good news and a warning sign.
On one hand, being targeted by other teams is usually a sign your program is working. Darnold has looked revitalized in his first year with the Seahawks, putting up some of the best numbers of his career and earning national MVP attention before last week’s four-interception stumble against the Rams.
On the other, losing Kubiak after just one season would force head coach Mike Macdonald to solve another major coordinator question on the offensive side after already making a change from Ryan Grubb last offseason.
A few things this could mean for Seattle:
- Interview window: If Kubiak gets requests, they’d likely come in January once the hiring cycle opens and teams with vacancies begin lining up interviews with assistants on playoff contenders.
- Continuity for Darnold: Darnold has thrived in Kubiak’s system, especially on early downs and in play-action concepts that lean into his accuracy. Another OC change would mean another playbook and new terminology to master.
- Impact on a young core: Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is in the middle of a record-setting season, while Seattle continues to break in a revamped offensive line and backfield. Keeping the same scheme would be a big plus for that development.
Pelissero’s story also flagged several other Seahawks assistants — including special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh, defensive passing game coordinator Karl Scott and offensive passing game coordinator Jake Peetz — as names to watch in future years, underscoring how much coaching talent is on this staff. If Kubiak eventually departs, Seattle could look internally for a successor or dip back into the growing pool of young play-callers leaguewide.
For now, the takeaway is simple: as long as Kubiak keeps dialing up explosive game plans and Darnold keeps producing, the Seahawks are going to have to live with the noise around their offensive coordinator
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