Exclusive: Cardinals Were Desperate to Land Klint Kubiak, NFL Sources Reveal

Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak was one of the most in-demand head coaching candidates of this hiring cycle, and nearly stayed in the NFC West, according to multiple sources involved with interviewing Kubiak and hiring coaches in recent weeks.

Arizona was incredibly high on Kubiak, and, like the Raiders, were willing to wait until after the Super Bowl to hire him. The franchise, notorious for being beyond frugal when it comes to coaching expenditures, were also willing to make a significant allotment to his salary and his assistants, but Kubiak chose the Raiders instead, a decision that was not particularly difficult, according to some involved in the process.

Why Vegas?

There were several factors working in the favor of the Raiders, not the least of which was the role of minority owner Tom Brady, arguably the greatest quarterback of all-time who sources said made a unique appeal to Kubiak, whose father, Gary, was also a long-time NFL quarterback. 

The Raiders also have the first-overall pick, and a path to selecting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with that pick. 

Furthermore, going to Las Vegas shifts Kubiak to the AFC, and not having to compete with Seattle twice a year, where young head coach Mike Macdonald quickly built a dominant defense in winning a Super Bowl in his second year on the job.

Arizona ultimately hired Rams assistant coach Mike LaFleur as its next head coach, finding a candidate with at least a somewhat similar background to Kubiak.

“Trust me, Kubiak was their guy,” said one NFL general manager whose team also had interest in Kubiak as their next head coach. 

“They would have done whatever they could to get him, but it wasn’t going to happen. They would have waited as long as it took. And then they had to scramble.”

One top NFL coaching agent, who had a multitude of clients interview for jobs in this hiring cycle, put it this way: “If you had a top guy – one of the hot, young coordinators – you weren’t going to Arizona or Cleveland. They literally couldn’t get people to take their jobs. That’s just a f—cking fact. The top guys didn’t want their jobs.” 

One of Kubiak’s first priorities since arriving in Las Vegas is addressing the standoff with star pass rusher Maxx Crosby, who has reportedly declared he will never play for the Raiders again. With elite pass rushers in short supply this offseason, Kubiak and the Raiders are exploring whether there’s any path to keeping Crosby, even as teams like the Eagles, Bills, Seahawks, Bears, and 49ers circle with interest.