New OC Klint Kubiak: Geno Smith attracted me to Seahawks, I’ve got a plan for DK Metcalf
When Mike Macdonald was taking most of January to interview candidates from across the NFL for the job of Seahawks’ offensive coordinator, each coach zeroed in on one particular topic.
DK Metcalf.
Specifically, how to best use him in Seattle’s offense to maximize the hulking wide receiver’s freakish physical talents.
“I’ll tell you this: We talked. Every candidate had an idea how we’re going to use DK definitely at the top of their mind,” Macdonald, the Seahawks’ head coach hiring his second OC in 11 months, said Tuesday.
“It’s great to hear different visions throughout the league of how guys saw him.
“I think Klint has the best vision out of all those guys.”
That’s a large reason why Klint Kubiak is Seattle’s new offensive coordinator.
What is the Seahawks’ third play caller in three years’ vision for maximizing the 27-year-old Metcalf?
The former OC for the Minnesota Vikings and, this past season, New Orleans Saints wasn’t about to give the rest of the league his specific blueprint he gave Macdonald. Not in February, seven months before he coaches his first Seahawks game.
“A lot to work with. A lot of great skill to work with,” Kubiak said, sitting to Macdonald’s right behind a table in the team’s main meeting auditorium at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
“Down-the-field threat. Strong, physical player. Extremely excited about getting to work with him, and his physical presence. Brings a lot, can bring a lot, to our offense.”
Macdonald said the weeks leading up and again the day after he fired Ryan Grubb as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator Jan. 6 that it’s not enough for Seattle to have Metcalf influence opposing defenses’ coverage to him. A cornerback tight and safety deep over the top of Metcalf constantly in 2024 freed teammate Jaxon Smith-Njigba to tie Tyler Lockett’s team record with 100 catches and earn the second-year wide receiver a Pro Bowl selection for this past season.
Macdonald wants the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Metcalf’s production to match his talent, size and confidence.
Metcalf had his second consecutive season of 66 receptions, after 90 in 2022. He the second-fewest targets of his six-year career (108) this past season. Metcalf had a career-low five touchdown catches in 2024.
The Seahawks went 10-7, but missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
For Macdonald and Kubiak, it’s not if they are going to maximize Metcalf.
“We have to,” Macdonald said.
“But we have to go through the process of how we do it. It’s, how can you move him around? How you can take care of match-ups. The route tree that’s available on how we want to build it.
“So, that track record’s there.”
With Metcalf. And with Kubiak.
He was the Vikings’ quarterbacks coach for Kirk Cousins in Minnesota in 2020. It was All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson’s rookie season. Jefferson caught 88 passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns. He made the Pro Bowl.
When Kubiak became the Vikings’ first-time OC in 2021, Jefferson jumped to 108 catches for 1,616 yards and 10 scores. Kubiak’s play calls that season targeted Jefferson 167 times in 17 games.
Metcalf has had more than 129 targets in a season just once in his Seahawks and NFL career. That was 141 targets in 2022.
“I mean, just like what they did in Minnesota with Justin Jefferson as a rookie, Chris Olave a lot of last year (before injuries with the Saints),” Maconald said.
“I mean, all these premier wide outs in this system, especially under under Klint’s (coaching have) really come to life.”
Geno Smith’s new play caller
Yet Kubiak didn’t say it was Metcalf that drew the 37-year-old son of former NFL quarterback and head coach Gary Kubiak to his third play-calling job in the league in four years.
Kubiak said it was Geno Smith.
The Seahawks’ new offensive coordinator says he admires the team’s 34-year-old quarterback, who is entering the final season of his contact and wants a new one.
“I think Geno’s his own man, in a great way,” Kubiak said. “Geno is a very aggressive player. Obviously has had a lot of production. Has been doing it for a long time, has overcome a lot in his career. I have a lot of respect for Geno.
“(It) was a huge draw to come here and to get to coach him, along side (new Seahawks quarterbacks coach) Andrew Janocko (also from the Saints).”
Kubiak said “we have high expectations for him. We are going to push Geno, and get the best out of him.”
Kubiak went on about Smith. He was a backup on one-year, minimum salary contracts for seven consecutive seasons for four teams before the Seahawks and Pete Carroll made him their starter post-Russell Wilson in 2022. Smith followed his NFL-leading five game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime in 2023 with four more comebacks wins in 2024.
“Tough as nails,” Kubiak said. “I mean, with the guy in the fourth quarter, he goes and wins football games. So (that) excites me and fires me up. I’ve watched his career, you know, studying more now than I ever have before.
“But...think about a guy that’s been through a lot of diversity, the guy that’s been knocked off off the high horse and had to claw his way went back into the starter’s role. And then he comes back last two years, wins more games in the fourth quarter than anybody in the NFL.
“That’s a guy I want to coach.”
So no, Kubiak and Macaonald sure don’t sound like the Seahawks are trading Smith or Metcalf this offseason.
Seahawks’ offensive line
Kubiak reiterated the obvious: He and new offensive line coach John Benton also coming with him from the Saints are going to feature outside-zone blocking schemes in the running game. Kubiak says his Seahawks will use a fullback, including tight ends blocking from in the backfield.
They intend to base Seattle’s offense in Kenneth Walker running the ball.
Macdonald is demanding that. Grubb’s offense was 28th in the 32-team league is rush attempts despite being middle of the pack in yards per rush.
Yet it won’t matter if Bill Walsh reincarnated is the Seahawks’ new OC if they don’t fix their offensive line. They must have guys more consistently, effectively block for Walker, Smith, Metcalf and Smith-Njigba.
Macdonald talked about Kubiak’s “scheme expertise,” and Kubiak’s ability to evolve his scheme to the players he has.
The head coach said again Seattle’s coaches “believe in our guys” on the O-line. They think they found something in 2024 in rookie Sataoa Laumea. He was their third try at right guard before he started the final six games.
Yet 33-year-old veteran Laken Tomlinson is departing after his only season as Seattle’s left guard. And if the coaches thought Olu Oluwatimi, who started the final eight games, was the answer at center for 2025 and beyond they wouldn’t have signed Connor Williams last summer 8 1/2 months after his got his knee reconstructed. Williams retired in the middle of last season after nine starts for the team.
Coaches had rookie Christian Haynes practicing at center at the end of the season. Haynes made 49 consecutive starts in college at Connecticut all at right guard. He competed with Anthony Bradford at that spot in 2024 before Laumea emerged.
The need to fix the offensive line outside bookend tackles Charles Cross and Abe Lucas makes Benton, a 19-year veteran of coaching NFL linemen, a key man in the Seahawks offense for 2025.
Kubiak said he and Benton are already looking at drafting offensive linemen — Seattle has the 18th pick in round one and eight picks overall beginning April 24 — plus signing blockers in free agency. That market opens March 12. The Seahawks have to get under the salary cap they are $14 million over by then. Re-doing and extending Smith’s contract would largely solve that issue.
Asked what he’s seeking in his linemen, Kubiak said: “Smart. Tough. Dependable.
“If our identity is going to be a running football team, it starts with Coach Benton.”
This story was originally published February 11, 2025 at 2:13 PM.
