The Seattle Seahawks’ playoff run could be happening at the same time as the team’s offensive brain trust gets targeted by the NFL’s coaching carousel.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano predicted Tuesday, Jan. 13, that Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak will end up as the Arizona Cardinals’ next head coach as Arizona begins its post-Jonathan Gannon search.
Key details to know right now:
- This is a prediction, not a report of an agreement: Graziano framed it as a “still-too-early” guess in a wide coaching roundup.
- Graziano pointed to Seattle’s production: the Seahawks offense ranked eighth in yards (351.4) and points (25.3) per game this season.
- Arizona’s previous coach Jonathan Gannon was fired after three seasons and a 15-36 record, per ESPN.
ESPN’s Cardinals prediction puts Seahawks OC in the spotlight
Graziano’s case for Kubiak was simple: Arizona may not be the most attractive landing spot for the “established” names, especially with uncertainty at quarterback, so the Cardinals could pivot to a younger coach with upside.
He also noted the division context: the Cardinals would be competing against strong, stable coaching situations in the NFC West.
Kubiak, 37, has been on the radar beyond this one ESPN prediction, too. The Cardinals’ own site has been tracking how the candidate pool is expanding in the days since the opening.
What it means for Seattle if Kubiak keeps getting linked to jobs
For the Seahawks, the immediate impact is less about a mid-week distraction and more about timing and leverage.
Because Seattle is still playing, there are league restrictions on when assistants can conduct interviews, and the deeper a team goes, the more the process can stretch into late January or February. Graziano spelled out how the interview window tightens for assistants still in the postseason.
From a roster-building standpoint, this is why teams hate coordinator uncertainty: play callers influence everything from QB development plans to free-agent recruiting pitches to draft-board priorities (especially at offensive line and skill positions). Even if Seattle retains Kubiak, the mere possibility can force contingency planning behind the scenes.
If he does leave, the Seahawks’ next decision becomes a classic fork:
- Promote from within for continuity (especially if Seattle wants to keep the system intact), or
- Go outside to land a new voice and accept a short-term learning curve.
Even if nothing happens immediately, this is the exact type of coordinator buzz that can accelerate quickly once the interview calendar opens up. If the Seahawks keep winning, Kubiak’s availability becomes a subplot throughout the playoff run, and that can create a real-world ripple effect inside the building. Teams don’t want to lose momentum on roster planning while also preparing for games, so front offices often start mapping out “if-then” options early: potential internal replacements, outside candidates, and what staying in the same offensive system would mean for the quarterback room and skill-position usage. For Seattle, the cleanest outcome is continuity, but that’s not always how the carousel works.
What happens next in the coaching carousel
The key word here is “early.” Graziano literally warned his list is “sure to be wrong,” and this cycle can flip fast once teams start stacking interviews and owners get involved.
Still, Kubiak being attached to a specific opening — Cardinals head coach — is the kind of named connection that tends to snowball if Arizona’s search drags or if other top candidates choose different jobs.
Seahawks Predicted To Lose Rising Talent During Cardinals’ Coach Search