The Seattle Seahawks are probably still flying high after winning Super Bowl 60. But now the Seahawks must navigate the 2026 offseason with the same Super Bowl tax that other champions have been saddled with. It all started when offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak left to become the head coach of the Raiders. Fortunately, the Seahawks were able to hold onto one important assistant by promoting him.
The Seahawks have promoted assistant coach Justin Outten to run-game coordinator per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
Outten was one of four internal candidates for Seattle's vacant offensive coordinator job. The Seahawks hired former NIU coach Brian Fleury as their next offensive coordinator on Wednesday.
Outten was a run-game specialist/assistant offensive line coach for Seattle during the 2025 season.
Seattle was not the only team interested in Outten as a run-game coordinator. In fact, Seattle blocked Las Vegas' request to interview Outten for a run-game coordinator role on Kubiak's coaching staff.
It is good to see that the Seahawks were willing to give Outten that same promotion after shutting down that interview request.
Outten began his NFL career as a coaching intern with the Falcons in 2016. He has held multiple coaching positions on offensive, including offensive coordinator of the Broncos during the 2022 season.
Before 2025, Outten spent two seasons in Tennessee as a running backs coach/run-game coordinator then a tight ends coach.
Seattle held onto Outten, but they've already lost a few important assistants to Kubiak's staff in Las Vegas.
Former quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko left the Seahawks to become the offensive coordinator with the Raiders. Las Vegas also poached run-game coordinator/senior offensive advisor Rick Dennison for a role on Kubiak's staff.
The brain drain in Seattle could continue into free agency. Seattle has several important players, including Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, who are set to hit free agency in March.
It will be interesting to see how much Seattle tries to keep the band together during the 2026 offseason.
