Cooper Kupp, Seahawks Aiming to Keep Championship ‘Standard’ in Brian Fleury’s Offense
Learning a new offense for the third straight season under a new coordinator in Brian Fleury during the heat of OTA workouts, Seattle Seahawks receiver Cooper Kupp discusses how the new play caller has done a fine job of meshing his system with the team’s personnel and upheld the lofty standards set by the defending Super Bowl champions so far.
Rashid Shaheed More Than Just a Return Specialist for Seahawks
When John Schneider pulled the trigger on a trade with the New Orleans Saints at the trade deadline last season, it changed the trajectory of Seattle’s season. It’s not too far-fetched to say that the move to bring in Rashid Shaheed helped the Seahawks get over the hump and win the Super Bowl.
While Shaheed is a receiver, he truly turned the tide for Seattle as a return man. He ran back a kick return to open the second half against the Falcons when the game was tied and the offense was sputtering. That sparked Seattle to a blowout win in Atlanta. Later, he returned a punt for a touchdown when Seattle was down two scores to the Rams at home, with the division and No. 1 seed in the NFC possibly at stake. That helped the Seahawks rally to one of the most dramatic wins in franchise history.
He didn’t stop there. On the opening kickoff of Seattle’s postseason, against the 49ers, Shaheed ran it 95 yards and pranced into the endzone for the game-opening score amid the smoke from the pregame fireworks. Before the dust and smoke had cleared, Seattle was already winning and they never looked back.
It’s impossible to tell the story of the 2025 Seahawks without Shaheed. He is a vital part of it, interwoven with so many critical moments leading up to Seattle hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
Analysis: What to Watch as Seahawks Kick Off OTAs
Taking the next step towards a new season, the Seattle Seahawks will open the final phase of their offseason program with the start of OTAs, partaking in the first open session to media on May 26.
With three open sessions and 10 total practices scheduled in the next two weeks before mandatory minicamp in mid-June, here are five storylines to watch heading into OTAs at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center:
1. Brian Fleury begins his journey as a first-time play caller with massive shoes to fill.
This time last spring, after dismissing Ryan Grubb just one day after missing the playoffs in 2024, the Seahawks handed the keys to their offense to Klint Kubiak, who held previous experience as an NFL play caller with the Vikings and Saints. That courtship ended up being a home run for the franchise and the coach, as Seattle finished in the top five in the league in points scored and set a team record for points scored in a single season. That success ultimately led to Kubiak being hired as the new coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in February, and while nobody could have reasonably expected such a triumphant one-and-done scenario to play out, there were signs that his scheme would bring out the best in quarterback Sam Darnold and company in OTAs.
Seahawks Reveal 2026 Coaching Staff, Maintain Continuity Under Mike Macdonald
In the midst of the opening week of free agency, the Seattle Seahawks announced their finalized coaching staff for the 2026 season, and coming off a Super Bowl LX victory, one could have expected to see a lot of new faces under coach Mike Macdonald.
Much like the 90-man roster, however, while there were a few noteworthy departures such as former offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak going to the Raiders as their new head coach, Macdonald and the front office did a fantastic job of keeping most of the band together as the franchise defends its Super Bowl title.
As the biggest change on the staff, Brian Fleury will take over in Kubiak’s stead as Seattle’s new offensive coordinator, taking over as a play caller for the first time in his coaching career at any level. To ease that transition, Macdonald managed to maintain most of the offensive staff from last year’s Super Bowl team with only quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko and senior assistant Rick Dennison following Kubiak to Las Vegas, including offensive line coach John Benton, run game coordinator Justin Outten, pass game coordinator Jake Peetz, receivers coach Frisman Jackson, and tight ends coach Mack Brown.
‘It’s an Honor’: Brian Fleury Ready to Tackle First Play Calling Role as Seahawks’ New Coordinator
Selecting his third offensive coordinator in as many offseasons since taking over as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, Mike Macdonald has learned a thing or two about trusting the process, sticking to his core principles and philosophies in the search for a new play caller as much as Xs and Os.
While some skeptics may question hiring a coordinator who has never called plays at any level, Macdonald isn’t in that camp, seeing far more to the job than simply turning plays into the quarterback. Looking at the entire picture while seeking a candidate with a diverse coaching background and a shared vision offensively post-Klint Kubiak, Brian Fleury checked off every other box on the checklist, landing himself the opportunity to be a coordinator for the first time in Seattle.
Now, Fleury plans to pay it forward rewarding by Macdonald for his faith in him, taking his career path to the next level as one of the few non-head coach play callers in the NFL with the defending Super Bowl champions.
Mike Macdonald, Seahawks Build Strong Contingency Plans With Fortified Coaching Staff
Paying the heavy toll that comes as a mandatory cost of winning in the NFL, the Seattle Seahawks expectedly have suffered significant coaching departures after defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX, headlined by the immediate exit of offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to accept the head coaching job for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Losing Kubiak, who helped steer a top-three scoring offense quarterbacked by Sam Darnold in his lone season calling plays for the Seahawks, won’t be an easy task for the organization. In addition, former quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko followed him to Vegas, taking over as the Raiders new offensive coordinator, leaving two major vacancies for coach Mike Macdonald to fill in quick order. Such staff turnover plays a big role in the struggle to repeat in the league, as only two teams have won back-to-back Super Bowls since 2001.
Fortunately for Seattle, however, Macdonald has grown leaps and bounds when it comes to evaluating coaching talent and building/maintaining a staff since the franchise first hired him as a first-time head coach in 2024. Already having experience hiring two offensive coordinators, he had a clear objective in mind seeking Kubiak’s replacement, emphasizing the desire for continuity while still keeping all options on the table with both internal and external candidates in the mix.
Analysis: Seahawks Continue Chasing Edges Hiring Brian Fleury as New Offensive Coordinator
Despite hinting earlier in the week that the Seattle Seahawks desired continuity as they began their search for a new offensive coordinator to replace Klint Kubiak in earnest, Mike Macdonald decided to quickly pivot in a different direction entirely.
After interviewing Andrew Janocko, Justin Outten, Jake Peetz, and Mack Brown, who each served key roles on Macdonald’s staff during a historic 2025 season that culminated with a Super Bowl LX victory, Seattle opted against promoting any of those four coaches to succeed Kubiak. Instead, the organization dipped into Kyle Shanahan’s coaching tree in San Francisco once again by hiring Brian Fleury, a long-time tight ends coach for the 49ers who had been on the team’s radar dating back to last year’s coordinator search.
For fans hoping the Seahawks would replace Kubiak with another veteran assistant with prior play calling experience in the NFL, Fleury’s hiring likely comes as a disappointment. Though he previously served as a defensive coordinator at FCS program Sacred Heart at the college level, he has never held a coordinator position on either side of the football in the league, and when he sends in a play call to Sam Darnold next fall, it will be the first time he has done so at any level.
Analysis: Examining Seahawks External Options to Replace Klint Kubiak
Capturing the Lombardi Trophy for only the second time in franchise history in Sunday’s 29-13 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX, the Seattle Seahawks understandably haven’t finished celebrating a historic milestone for the franchise, with the much-anticipated parade in downtown coming on Wednesday.
But the NFL never stops and after making his rounds at various stops such as Jimmy Kimmel Live, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald will have to shift his focus quickly towards the upcoming season with the rest of the league already deep into offseason mode, starting with a major vacancy to fill on his coaching staff. After Sunday’s victory, as expected, offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak accepted the Raiders’ head coaching job, leaving Seattle on the hunt for a third play caller in as many offseasons.
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