The Seattle Seahawks are still in the middle of their search for a new offensive coordinator after firing first-year coach Ryan Grubb at the end of their season. Five candidates have been mentioned for being in contention for the job including Saint’s offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley, Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown, former offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, and Vikings assistant offensive coordinator and QBs coach Grant Udinski. Three of these candidates, Fraley, Kubiak, and Udinski have all earned in-person second-round interviews in Seattle.
In this article, we will rank the Seahawks OC candidates from worst to best and explain why they may or may not be fit for the role.
Ranking the 5 Seahawks Offensive Coordinator Candidates
5. Thomas Brown
Thomas Brown has the ideal leadership for this role. However, he doesn’t seem like the right fit play-call-wise. Brown hasn’t been very successful as a coordinator. While he was promoted twice by the Bears this season, he went 1-4 as head coach. His only true accomplishment there was beating the Packers in Week 18. Before that, Brown was the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers during Bryce Young’s mediocre rookie season. While Brown’s leadership abilities would be valuable for Seattle, I don’t think he has what it takes to turn around the offensive play-calling.
4. Byron Leftwich
Byron Leftwich has been an offensive mastermind in the past. He most notably made an impact with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2019-2021 where the Bucs ranked fourth, third, and second in scoring, respectively, during those years. They also ranked first in pass yards in 2019 and 2021 while they ranked second in the same stat in 2020 and 2022. Leftwich’s last season as coordinator for Tampa Bay was in 2022 which was also his last year in the league. He was fired at the end of the season after the Bucs dropped to 25th in the league in scoring.
I can see why the Seahawks would be interested in giving Leftwich an interview, however, his pass-heavy play-calling seems to not be on the same page with what Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald wants for the offense. Seattle’s last offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb was let go because he didn’t prioritize the run game enough. When Leftwich was with Tampa Bay, the Bucs ran game was amongst the bottom in the league thanks to a low run rate.
3. Hank Fraley
Hank Fraley would be a valuable addition for the Seahawks in terms of improving their offensive line. He’s helped the Lions fortify their offense thanks to a strong offensive line and he could do the same in Seattle. While the doesn’t have actual play-calling experience, Fraley has all the right tools and knowledge to succeed as a coordinator. When he was first reported to be in the running for the opening position in Seattle, it was revealed that Fraley was already putting in extensive work to find a passing game coordinator to bring along with him.
2. Grant Udinski
Grant Udinski may not have any play-calling experience but he has a strong football acumen that makes him a top candidate for the Seahawks’ open OC position. Udinski spent the 2024 season as assistant offensive coordinator and QB’s coach (also in 2023) for the Minnesota Vikings and the assistant to the head coach/special projects before that in 2022. In 2023, Udkinsi helped the Vikings offense maneuver between four different starting quarterbacks when Kirk Cousins went down with a torn Achilles. The Vikings ended up winning three consecutive games with three different starting quarterbacks as well as finishing the season fifth in the league in yards per game with 256.4. In 2024 he continued Minnesota’s offensive resurgence efforts by helping guide quarterback Sam Darnold to his best season yet.
1. Klint Kubiak
Kubiak’s extensive roots in the NFL continue to make him the front-runner for the Seahawks’ OC position according to some NFL analysts. He may even be the closest of all candidates in matching Mike Macdonald’s philosophy for the offense which focuses on highlighting the run game on early downs. He hasn’t found himself in the best of coordinator situations the past few years after coaching under Pat Shurmur, Nathaniel Hackett, and Dennis Allen, but he was the passing game coordinator for the 49ers in 2023 that helped Brock Purdy ascend in QB rankings.
Main Image: Stephen Lew – USA Today Sports
The post Ranking the 5 Seahawks Offensive Coordinator Candidates appeared first on Last Word on Pro Football.