The NFC West loses more than its fair share of assistant coaches every year to other teams. The Los Angeles Rams watched Mike LaFleur leave to join the division rival Arizona Cardinals. Klint Kubiak of the Seahawks and Robert Saleh of the 49ers also earned head coaching jobs.
But LaFleur wasn’t the only coach poached within the division. The Seahawks also hired Brian Fleury of the 49ers as their next offensive coordinator to replace Kubiak.
There’s no beating around the bush. Seattle’s replacement of Kubiak was one of the single-most important coordinator hires in all the NFL this offseason. Defensive head coaches are almost certain to lose their OC after a stellar year. Whether they can find lightning in a bottle twice is a relatively large uncertainty.
It’s for this reason why Seattle seems primed for regression. Their defense is as good as it gets. Sam Darnold still seems to be on unsettled ground even after winning the Super Bowl. What happens to the Seahawks when they don’t have someone pulling the offensive strings as well as Kubiak?
That is nothing but positive news for the Rams, who may need all the help they can get to get over the Seattle hump. The latest two matchups between these teams were as evenly close as a series can get. Losing an edge at offensive play caller may be all the edge the Rams need to take the division in 2026.
And to throw gas on the fire, 49ers fans seem to mostly be scratching their heads at the Seahawks’ hire:
One of the more under the radar aspects of Seattle’s OC search is that they planned to hire within and interviewed four internal candidates before handing the keys to Fleury. One of the favorites for a promotion from within was QB coach Andrew Janocko. Janocko instead followed Kubiak to the Raiders as their coordinator. Did this throw a wrench into the Seahawks’ plan?
With the entirety of the offseason still to go, the NFC West is again shaping up to be one of the most competitive divisions in football. The Seahawks are riding high following their Super Bowl win. Losing even a little ground could be enough for the Rams or 49ers to take their turn at the division crown.
Was Seattle’s hire of Brian Fleury enough to cause a shuffle in the NFC West standings?
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