Justin

Outten

Outten is currently a candidate to replace former Seahawks OC and new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak in Seattle. The Seahawks’ move to block Kubiak’s request to interview Outten for the same gig in Las Vegas seemingly bodes positively for Outten’s odds of getting the Seattle job. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler broke today’s news, and previously reported that the Seahawks are interviewing four internal candidates for their own offensive coordinator vacancy, including Outten, tight ends coach Mack Brown, pass game coordinator Jake Peetz and quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko.

Outten is one of four internal candidates who will interview for the opening. Tight ends coach Mack Brown, pass game coordinator Jake Peetz, and quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko are the other three names. With one of those coaches getting promoted, another one or two will likely follow Klint Kubiak to Vegas. Per usual, the price to pay for winning the Super Bowl is a brain drain, which will primarily come on the offensive side of the ball for Seattle.

Kubiak is set to assume the Raiders’ head-coaching role once the season concludes. Outten has evidently impressed in his lone season with the team. Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker has run for 178 yards and four touchdowns in postseason play, and the Seahawks’ offensive line has played well despite experiencing a few injuries late in the year.

The hiring reunites Outten and the Seahawks’ new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who worked together as members of the 2022 Broncos staff. Outten spent that season working as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator while Kubiak served as the pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Outten was quickly bounced out of play-calling duties in Denver last season, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a successful coach at a lower rung of the ladder. The Titans will have Outten working under new OC Tim Kelly. Outten also interviewed with the Rams and Ravens this offseason.

Outten has also interviewed for jobs on the Rams and Titans, though not necessarily offensive coordinator jobs. He has a TE coach background with the Packers and didn’t call plays often during his time in Denver, as the team deferred to Klint Kubiak and Nathaniel Hackett. Denver could block a lateral move by Outten as he’s still under contract, but they’ve given no indication that they’ll do that as they try to settle their own head coaching situation.

Presumably neither of them are OC requests, or Pelissero would likely say so if they were. Outten was promoted beyond his comfort zone as an offensive coordinator on last year’s Broncos staff. That doesn’t mean he’s not a valuable coach in a different role, as other teams appear to have become wise to. Denver could block a move for Outten as this would be a demotion, but with the entire Broncos coaching staff situation in flux, it makes some sense for them to let Outten walk.

There was some confusion among reporters on who would be calling plays in Week 17. It appears as though Klint Kubiak was in charge, though Rosburg was intentionally vague last week. This week, Outten is at the helm. Outten may be auditioning to keep his job for the upcoming season, though, with Nathaniel Hackett long gone, it’s likely that Denver’s staff will be gutted in the offseason.

Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett worked with Outten in Green Bay and they should hit the ground running together in Denver. Outten’s hiring was announced within hours of Klint Kubiak’s hiring as passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. With Hackett calling his own plays, both Outten and Kubiak will presumably have a chance to shape the offense. The Broncos still need to answer the critical question of who will be quarterbacking their offense in 2022. Meanwhile, the Packers have now lost Hackett, Outten, and passing game coach Luke Getsy from their 2021 staff.

The gutting of the Green Bay staff may not be over yet. Hackett was hired to be the Broncos’ head coach after a successful stint as the Packers’ offensive coordinator. Passing game coach Luke Getsy is expected to take over as the Bears offensive coordinator. Now Hackett could lure Outten away with a massive promotion. Outten has been the Packers’ tight ends coach for three years. Before that he spent two years as an assistant in Atlanta.