It’s a battle for the man who turned Sam Darnold into a Ghostbuster.
The Raiders and Cardinals are the last two teams with head coaching openings and both are expected to host in-person interviews with Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak this weekend, according to multiple reports, and the California Post’s Vinny Bonsignore reported that Las Vegas will do so Saturday.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler added that Kubiak is the leading candidatefor both jobs.
The process for hiring a coordinator of a Super Bowl-bound team is more complicated than that involving an unemployed coach or one from a team that has been eliminated.
Kubiak only could meet with teams in-person during this bye week before the Super Bowl, per Fox Sports, and he had to previously interview with the teams virtually.
Either team could then hire Kubiak after Super Bowl 2026 on Feb. 8.
The battle for Kubiak creates an interesting dynamic since one of these teams will acquire a hot coordinator while the other team will be left to survey a market that has already filled eight spots.
Kubiak, the son of former Super Bowl-winning coach Gary Kubiak, is only in his second year as an offensive coordinator and first with Seattle.
He guided an offense that ranked eighth in yards per game and third in points per game, while producing the receiving yards leader in Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Kubiak also helped Darnold overcome his big-game demons, with the ex-Jets bust beating the 49ers on the road in Week 18 to clinch the NFC’s top seed, demolishing San Francisco in a rematch in the Divisional Round two weeks later and then throwing three touchdown passes to out-duel MVP candidate Matthew Stafford and beat the Rams in the NFC Championship game last week.
The 38-year-old coach seemingly will have his choice between two last-place teams competing in two of the best divisions in football in the AFC West and NFC West, respectively.
The Raiders have the appeal of the No. 1 pick, which is expected to be Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, plus ex-first-round talents in running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers.
Las Vegas’ defense, though, lacks playmakers beyond star pass rusher Maxx Crosby.
Kubiak’s view of Mendoza’s ceiling could play a large role in how he evaluates that opening.
The Cardinals’ job is muddled by the uncertainty surrounding quarterback Kyler Murray since parting ways with him this offseason could create plenty of dead salary cap.
Arizona has the third pick, but this is not a quarterback-heavy draft.
