What quaterbacks has Klint Kubiak worked with?

The Las Vegas Raiders are in the thick of their search for a new head coach, and Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is considered a strong candidate to get the job. Pairing a young, offensive-minded head coach lines up nicely with the direction the organization is heading in, as the Raiders are expected to take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick during the 2026 NFL draft.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at what quarterbacks Kubiak has worked with in the past and see what parallels can be drawn with Mendoza.

Denver Broncos Offensive assistant (2016-2018)

Since Kubiak was pretty low on the totem pole during his first stint in Denver, there shouldn’t be too much weight given to this stage of his career. Also, this was a transitional period for the Broncos, coming off a Super Bowl win with an old roster that had 39-year-old Peyton Manning in Manning’s last season (2015) the year before. Then, it was a crew comprised of Trevor Siemian, major draft bust Paxton Lynch and one of Case Keenum’s final runs as a starter.

Minnesota Vikings QB coach (2019-2020)

This is where the coach’s career started to gain some momentum. He worked with Kirk Cousins, who some like to compare Mendoza to, and helped Cousins make his second Pro Bowl in 2019 before throwing for over 4,200 yards with 35 touchdowns the following year. Of course, having Sefon Diggs for the first season, and then trading Diggs to land Justin Jefferson while having Adam Thielen outwide and Davlin Cook to catch passes out of the backfield certainly helped, too.

Vikings Offensive Coordinator (2021)

Klint’s father, Gary, retired after 2020, and the younger Kubiak was promoted as the team’s offensive coordinator under head coach Mike Zimmer. The Vikings had the 12th-ranked offense in total yards and 11th-best passing game, as Cousins threw for another 4,200-yard season (33 touchdowns) and made the Pro Bowl a third time. However, Minnesota was 24th in points allowed and 30th in yards, finishing 8-9. That resulted in Zimmer’s firing and then the rest of the coaching staff.

Broncos Passing Game Coordinator & QB coach (2022)

This has been the biggest low point in Kubiak’s career. Denver hired Nathaniel Hackett as head coach in an attempt to lure Aaron Rodgers, only for Rodgers to stay with the Green Bay Packers for one more season, leaving the Broncos to trade for 34-year-old Russell Wilson, whom Kubiak was responsible for. This was the beginning of the end of Wilson’s time as a starter in the NFL, throwing for 3,500 yards and 16 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. Hackett was fired with a few weeks left in the season, and Sean Payton did not retain Kubiak.

San Francisco 49ers Passing Game Coordinator (2023)

The Kubiak-Shanahan family connection helped Klint land in San Francisco, where Brock Purdy was entering his second season in the NFL and first as the 49ers’ starting quarterback. Despite ranking 32nd in passing attempts, the team was fourth in passing yards (4,384 with 4,280 from Purdy) and second in passing touchdowns (33, 31 from Purdy). That led to the quarterback’s first and only Pro Bowl appearance to date. It’s worth noting that Purdy famously didn’t have many physical traits, but has become known for being cerebral and accurate, which is similar to the current discourse surrounding Menodza.

To be fair, Kyle Shanahan deserves more credit than Kubiak since Shanahan was calling the plays and running the offense. But Kubiak was the second in command, and San Francisco’s passing game had plenty of success, helping revive his career with another opportunity to call plays elsewhere. This was also the first time he was able to work with Sam Darnold, who was Purdy’s backup at the time.

New Orleans Saints Offensive Coordinator (2024)

Kubiak’s tenure with the Saints got off to a hot start, scoring 91 points in the first two games of the season with long-time Raiders quarterback Derek Carr at the helm. However, Carr started to get banged up and missed seven games, with a three-week and four-week absences in the middle and end of the season. That left New Orleans with rookie Spencer Rattler and second-year pro Jake Haener at quarterback, and the offense was never the same as it was to begin the year. They finished 24th in points scored with the 23rd-ranked passing offense and 5-12 record, so Dennis Allen was fired midseason.

Seattle Seahawks Offensive Coordinator (2025)

This is where Kubiak and Darnold reunited, and the results are why the offensive play-caller is getting consideration to be a head coach. The Seahawks finished the regular season as the NFC’s one seed, thanks in part to their third-ranked offense that is 29th in pass attempts and eighth in passing yards. Meanwhile, Darnold is headed to his second straight Pro Bowl—first with Seattle after spending last year in Minnesota—while throwing for 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns.

That’s another connection to Mendoza, with Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema recently making that comparison for the Indiana quarterback. Like Darnold, the Hoosier is a smart processor to diagnose and attack coverages with enough arm talent to make all of the required throws in this style of offense. That makes it pretty clear why the Raiders are interested in Kubiak.