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Brady Henderson
Renton, Washington – while a segment of the Seattle Seahawks fans wants the team to replace the polarizing field marshal Smith, the new Klint Kubiak offensive coordinator took work partly for the opportunity to train it.
Kubiak said so much on Tuesday during his introductory press conference at the team headquarters, which marked the last signal of the organization that plans to keep Smith as its headline in 2025.
Another arrived last week by coach Mike Macdonald, who gave the field marshal its clearest support so far. While Macdonald and Kubiak talked to journalists for almost 30 minutes on Tuesday, absent were any comment that suggested the possibility of a change in the position.
In fact, Kubiak, who was also in the mixture for the opening of Cleveland Browns coordinators before promoting Tommy Rees, volunteered that the field marshal was a “great attraction” to take the work of Seahawks .
“Geno is a very aggressive player,” Kubiak said. “He has a lot of production. Obviously, he has been doing it for a long time. He has surpassed a lot in his career. I have a lot of respect for Geno. It was a great attraction to come here and be able to train with [quarterbacks coach] Andrew Janocko. We have high expectations for him. We are going to push Geno and get the best out of him, and we will also pushing his teammates. It is not just your show. It is a team issue, and it has to be the head of ESO. “
The future of Smith in Seattle has been a continuous question after his game above and down in each of the last two years, as well as non -committed comments from the organization at the beginning of the low season. With Smith entering the last year of his agreement and is scheduled to count $ 44.5 million against the limit next season, the two parties are expected to try to negotiate an extension. That Cap Charge includes a bonus of the $ 16 million list due to March 16.
Smith, 34, launched 21 TouchDown passes last season, but also 15 interceptions, with four league selections in the red zone. With most of the offensive on his shoulders when Seattle could not set up a constant career game, he broke his own franchise records for air yards with 4,320 and a end rate at 70.4%. Smith also led four winning units of the game in the fourth quarter or extra time, giving him nine in the last two seasons to tie Patrick Mahomes for most in the league in that period, according to ESPN Research.
“I think Geno is hard as nails,” Kubiak said. “I think you look at the guy in the fourth quarter and he goes and wins the football games. That excites me. That ignites me. I have seen his career, now studying it more than ever before, but you think of a guy that has gone through much adversity, a guy who has been demolished from the high horse and had to resort to the role of title.
A meticulous decision maker, Macdonald took his time to replace Ryan Grubb, whom he shot after a season for philosophical differences. He interviewed at least seven candidates for O-Coordinator work during a three-week search, relying on the assistant coach Leslie Frazier throughout the process, while involving some of their other non-offensive coaches for their perspective, including The defensive coordinator Aden Durde and special team coordinator Jay Harbaugh. In that sense, Macdonald called him a team effort to hire Kubiak, 37.
The son of the former NFL field marshal and the Super Bowl -winning coach, Gary Kubiak, Klint Kubiak left one and made in his two periods of previous offensive coordinators with the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 and the New Orleans Saints the Last season after each team shot their coach head. In the middle, he had a period of six games like Playcaller of the Denver Broncos in 2022 and served as the San Francisco 49ers air game coordinator in the ’23. Kubiak trained field seafood in Minnesota before his promotion to offensive coordinator and also in Denver.
Kubiak said that Seattle’s offensive identity will execute the ball, something Grubb did not do so often or that Macdonald wanted, but that they have to win more in a way.
“As the process began to develop, it was really clear that Klint was the best option for us,” MacDonald said. “Really excited about that … he is Klint as the person, as a man of very high integrity, high character, passion for the game, passion for his players, humility. I really respect Klint as a person. Excited by him to work with Our players.
“And as a coach, only the experience of the scheme. This guy has been in the game for a long time, well documented with his family, and I have a lot of respect for his brothers and his father, Gary; I worked with him in 2014. But the Passion for the game, the experience of the scheme, the history with the field marshal.
Macdonald was asked how Kubiak’s offensive can help Smith, who finished the 21st total QBR last season with 53.8, the lowest in three seasons as Seattle’s full headline.
“I think there is a lot of clarity in what we are trying to do, there are many details,” MacDonald said. “They have lived all the things that can happen to the field marshal, so it is very clean in terms of progressions. And I think there is a responsibility factor for the entire football team. We all have to play with the same agreement. How we need to get there. “
Before Kubiak’s press conference, Seahawks announced Janocko’s hiring as QB coach, John Benton as offensive line coach and Michael Byrne as an offensive assistant. Everyone is following Kubiak to Seattle from New Orleans. Macdonald said they are preparing a couple of more training additions, and that everyone who is currently in staff will return.
Macdonald said the team is still working if Tyler Lockett will remain with Seattle in 2025. The second most prolific receiver in the history of the franchise plans to continue playing in its 11th NFL season, but he is a probable victim unless the two parts They may agree to a reduced contract for the second consecutive year.
