Kubiak the clear favorite for Raiders vacancy, but should he want it?

With Davis Webb withdrawing from consideration for the Raiders’ head coach vacancy, everything is pointing toward Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak being the next coach of the Silver and Black.

That means Saturday’s meeting between Kubiak and Raiders officials, including minority owner Tom Brady and general manager John Spytek, feels much more like a coronation than an in-person interview.

The meeting will take place on Kubiak’s home turf in Seattle, a day before he and the Seahawks take off for Super Bowl 2026 near San Francisco.

The Raiders will pitch the opportunity to work with Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, whom the club will almost assuredly select with the first pick overall in the NFL draft, the construction of a lengthy runway that will guard against the impatience and hasty decision-making of the club’s recent past, and provide Kubiak the necessary time to turn the Raiders around, and whatever resources Kubiak needs to build his staff.

Multiple league sources indicate that the job is Kubiak’s if he wants it.

But it’s not a done deal. Kubiak will also speak to the Cardinals on Saturday about their head coach opening. While league sources indicate the Raiders appear to be Kubiak’s top choice, the Cardinals will be a threat until they aren’t.

There is also the possibility of Kubiak deciding he wants to remain in Seattle. The 38-year-old coach has moved five times over the last five years and could choose the stability of his current job.

However, the fact that the Raiders’ pursuit has gotten this far shows that Kubiak’s interest is sincere.

If Kubiak decides to take the Cardinals job or stay put in Seattle, the Raiders could turn to Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.

Kubiak, though, is the top target.

What makes him so compelling to the Raiders?

He can fix the Raiders’ offense

The Raiders have gone from bad to worse on offense over the last three seasons, bottoming out last year by averaging a league-worst 14.2 points per game. The problems are multiple, including terrible quarterback play from multiple low-level signal callers, but scheme, innovation and play-calling have also been a problem.

Kubiak is viewed as one of the brightest offensive minds in the game and someone who can change all that for the better.

In Kubiak’s first season in Seattle, the Seahawks ranked third in points per game at 28.4 and eighth in yards per game at 351.4.

He also tapped into quarterback Sam Darnold, who threw for 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns, and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who had a league-high 1,793 receiving yards.

Emphasis on run game

It’s easy to focus on the passing numbers of Darnold and Smith-Njigba, but Kubiak also unlocked a powerful Seahawks run game.

Seattle averaged 123.3 yards per game on the ground on 4.1 yards per carry. Kubiak’s willingness to stick with the run game through the good and the bad is a big deal to the Raiders, who need someone who won’t abandon that tool at the first sign of struggle.

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Remember, the Raiders invested the sixth pick overall in the 2025 draft on Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, and they need a coach who will maximize Jeanty’s incredible upside.

Kubiak leans heavily on an outside zone run scheme and athletic offensive linemen. That fits perfectly with Jeanty and some of the anchors on the offensive line, including left tackle Kolton Miller and interior offensive linemen Jackson Powers-Johnson and Caleb Rogers.

Maximizing Mendoza

The Raiders can’t fumble the development of Mendoza, who immediately becomes the most important asset in recent franchise history. They need someone they can trust to get the most out of him.

Kubiak’s work with Darnold gives them some assurances that he can successfully develop Mendoza.

And it’s not just what they did together this year. It often gets overlooked, but Darnold was a broken quarterback when he showed up in San Francisco in 2023, and while Kyle Shanahan deserves plenty of credit for putting Darnold back on the right path, Kubiak played a big role in the day-to-day mechanics of that as the 49ers’ pass game coordinator.

The development role Kubiak played in revising Darnold’s career is something the Raiders can project forward with Mendoza.