Now that the Cleveland Browns have hired their next head coach, the Las Vegas Raiders and Arizona Cardinals are the only two head coaching openings remaining. The Raiders have seemingly narrowed their options down to Denver Broncos quarterbacks coach Davis Webb and Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
Webb was recently in Las Vegas for an in-person interview, but has seemingly left without a contract in hand. Unless he is hired soon, it would stand to reason that Kubiak is the target.
The problem with him is that he can’t be hired until after the Super Bowl. Suspiciously, the Raiders haven’t officially interviewed a second time yet, even though they are allowed to. However, the interview is still coming, according to Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports. He also has an interview with the Cardinals, but Pauline believes that it’ll be Seattle or Las Vegas in 2026 for Kubiak.
“Kubiak is the ‘it’ coaching candidate this season, and while I’m told he wants to be a head coach, he’s also in a position of leverage, allowing him to make the best decision for his career,” Pauline wrote.
“On Tuesday I was told Kubiak has interviews set up later this week with the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders. The sense I’m getting is that he would likely return to Seattle rather than take the head coaching job with Arizona, unless they somehow blow him away with an amazing offer. The Cardinals are not a very desirable job for anyone.”
Candidates Have to Be ‘Comfortable’ With Tom Brady
Previously, it looked like the Tom Brady factor may have given the Raiders an advantage. The hope was that coaches and players would be excited about the opportunity to work with the greatest quarterback ever.
However, his role isn’t clearly defined, which has led to confusion. The fact that Brady is going to have a big say over football operations could concern some coaches. According to Pauline, whoever coaches the Raiders has to accept that Brady’s going to be involved.
“The Raiders? I’m told any candidate, including Kubiak, must be comfortable with minority owner and future Hall of Famer Tom Brady looking over their shoulder and potentially second-guessing decisions,” Pauline wrote.
Are Raiders Hoping to Hire Kubiak?
Kubiak seems to be atop the Raiders’ wish list right now. If that weren’t the case, they could’ve hired somebody else. Kubiak is the only coach the Raiders have interviewed who is in the Super Bowl right now.
He makes a lot of sense for Las Vegas. Kubiak runs a Kyle Shanahan-style offense, which favors the run game and a quarterback who operates out of the pocket. The Raiders have one of the most exciting young running backs in the NFL in Ashton Jeanty, and are likely about to draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
That’s not to mention superstar tight end Brock Bowers. Kubiak could immediately have his version of Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle. There’s a lot of work to do with the Raiders, but there are some pieces that should appeal to Kubiak.
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