It sounds like Kliff Kingsbury won’t be heading to Las Vegas after all. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Kingsbury has withdrawn himself from consideration for the Raiders offensive coordinator job. It was reported earlier this week that the Raiders were set to hire the former Cardinals head coach for the role.
[RELATED: Raiders Expected To Hire Kliff Kingsbury]
Per Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the agreement between the two sides was believed to be all but done. Peter Schrager of Fox Sports reports that contract negotiations became “undone” over the past 24 hours, and Kingsbury informed multiple members of the organization this morning that he wouldn’t be joining the coaching staff.
Following a one-year stint at USC, Kingsbury seemed prime for a return to the NFL. Besides the interest from the Raiders, the coach also interviewed for the Bears and Eagles offensive coordinator vacancies. While both of those franchises decided to go in different directions, it was still clear that Kingsbury was back on the coordinator radar.
The former NFL quarterback was once considered one of the brightest offensive coaching minds in the sport. That offensive acumen helped him earn the Cardinals head coaching job back in 2019. The team took steps forward in each of Kingsbury’s first three years at the helm, including a 2021 campaign where the Cardinals won 11 games. However, the Cardinals dropped to 4-13 in 2022, and Kingsbury was let go.
The coach seemed to lose a bit of his shine last offseason, leading to him taking a gig as senior offensive analyst/quarterbacks coach at USC. It wasn’t the most taxing job; after all, Kingsbury was tasked with guiding former Heisman Trophy winner and top quarterback prospect Caleb Williams. The signal-caller didn’t do anything to hurt his draft stock this past season, with Williams finishing the campaign tossing 30 touchdowns vs. five interceptions.
Former Raiders offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi was fired back in October, and Antonio Pierce has clearly put an emphasis on experience as he looks for his next offensive leader. We heard recently that the organization was eyeing Hue Jackson for a role on the staff, and the team also reportedly gave a long look at Chip Kelly for their offensive coordinator vacancy. Kingsbury was expected to lead this group, but the Raiders will apparently have to pivot in a different direction.
While the Raiders cast a wide net to fill their OC vacancy, many of their candidates have already taken jobs elsewhere. Besides Kelly, the Raiders could still turn to former Bears OC Luke Getsy, Buccaneers QBs coach Thad Lewis, or Steelers quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan.
As for Kingsbury, it will be interesting to see where he lands next. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports points out that Kingsbury had been discussed as a potential OC option for the Commanders. With Dan Quinn now in place, that might be an idea that Washington circles back to.
He’s going to head to Washington now…at least that’s my bet!
Yep. Williams is from there. All he as to do is confirm these rumors that he won’t play for Chicago so that they can trade down one pick to get him.
That’s a bad look.
Could be a play for the commanders, he said he doesn’t want to play for the bears. Bring in who he wanted as OC. Commanders can make the best offer for the number 1 pick with the number 2 pick. They already have many pieces in place
He saw Marvin Lewis and Hue Jackson’s names associated with this staff and smartly decided he’d rather just be unemployed..
If Mark Davis allows Hue Jackson anywhere near a Raiders facility, he has lost it way worse than Big Al ever did. I believe that he will lose any respect that he has earned among the other owners and ranking personnel.
If you recall, when Big Al left us Hue Jackson openly stated and maneuvered to be an active owner within the Raiders. Rodger Goodell had to step in and assist Mark Davis.
Wtf are you going on about lol
Sounds like dude is taking career advice from Josh McDowell.
Josh “McDowell” – the former LV Golden Knights HC?? 🙂
In Chip we Trust!
Kingsbury and Caleb Williams may be going somewhere as a package deal.
Chicago already hired an offensive coordinator.
Caleb regressed last year under Kingsbury. I believed they lost 5 games; the year before he won the Heisman. Maybe Caleb doesn’t want him?
They did not play defense. Caleb and Kingsbury were fine and he also wasn’t the OC. He was a senior offensive advisor
Offense has never been the issue for Lincoln Riley teams. USC played terrible defense that’s why they lost 5 games. Pac 12 was a little better last year vs previous years just look how good Oregon, Oregon State, and Washington were.
Here’s the list I’ve compiled of USC QBs drafted in the first FIVE rounds in the last 30 years:
Todd Marinovich, 1.24, 1991
Rob Johnson, 4.01, 1995
Carson Palmer, 1.01, 2003
Matt Leinart, 1.10, 2006
Mark Sanchez, 1.05, 2009
Matt Barkley, 4.01, 2013
Cody Kessler, 3.30, 2016
Sam Darnold, 1.03, 2018
Now, I GET IT, talent, situation, intangibles, A LOT in different in each situation BUT USC is not exactly where I’m going to look for a first round, franchise QB.
Didn’t we just recently have the “BMOC” in Arizona?; the “Sanchize” in NY?; and the “Darnold” in NY (again)?. This is NOT to say Williams, can’t, won’t buck the trend, again, I get that, but you wanna put your franchise out on a limb and HOPE he does??
If I’m an NFL GM, which of course I’m not, I’m trying to trade the hell out of the 1.01 pick and not be caught with having, expecting, to pick this player in this spot. So, from what I can tell, this is exactly what the Bears will be doing.
I’m not a Williams fan, but this same idiotic thinking was used for Ohio State and Oregon QBs until the guys from those schools that hit. One broke all the records as a rookie and continues to be highly regarded even if I think he’s overrated, and the other guy just transformed a downtrodden franchise into a contender as a rookie. So take players off your board because of what school they went to if you like. I wouldn’t.
This is what I was going to say. Last year people said the same thing about CJ Stroud. All those people are very quiet and look really dumb in hindsight.
I used to think the same way about Tennessee WR’s (all speed, no hands), and Michigan QB’s since there was such a long gap between Bob Griese & Tom Brady. You can count me among those who think the Bears should trade Justin Fields & draft Caleb Williams 1st overall in spite of USC’s track record at QB.
Great research, thanks! I’ve read multiple places that Caleb is well under .500 against top 25 teams. And before people chirp in he doesn’t play D, his numbers weren’t good against the opposing D’s.
This is why I’m not a fan. When he played good defenses, he stunk. News flash, it gets harder in the NFL than Pac 12 defenses. He also seems emotionally unstable, something that you can’t have your franchise QB doing. Crying on the field because you lost a game? The painting the nails thing. It’s all bizarre.
His worst game was against ND, where he threw 3 INT. He threw 0 INT against UW or Utah. 5 INT total vs 30 TD, and that’s playing from behind every game because the defense gives up a TD almost every drive. That kind of experience is invaluable in the NFL, because he’s going to playing from behind and trying to comeback plenty during his first year or two. No idea of he’ll succeed, but protecting the ball that well against elite CBs like UW’s when they know you have to pass is promising.
Carson Palmer was the best QB in his class by far and a top 10 QB for much of his career. That is an excellent pick.
Sanchez and Darnold, especially Darnold, say more about the Jets inability to field and offense than about USC QBs. They have fielded a top 10 scoring offense a whopping 2 times in the last 30 years and 1 year with was Brett Farve. No young QB is going to excel in that system. Darnold showed some promise with Carolina and in the wk 18 games against the Rams. Maybe he could have been decent if he wasn’t drafted by the Jets.
Marinovich was consuming every illegal substance he could get his hands on so he’s hardly a good comp. Leinart was playing behind Kurt Warner and Doug Flutie, so there’s no saying what he could have done in a better environment and he was still a solid backup.
The OSU string of QB failures was much more iron clad. Thru 2022, Justin Fields was the best of the best despite being a lower tier NFL QB (but an elite runner). Stroud put that theory to bed by putting up more passing yards than Fields did in his first 2 years combined and actually took at team to the playoffs.
The OSU QB tree makes the USC one look dominant in comparison, yet Stroud may be as good or better than Palmer. We won’t know who Williams will be until he plays.
I said Josh McDowell. I was thinking of Jack McDowell when I thought I was thinking of Josh McCan…..you know….the guy that was the DC for the Pats and Ben Belichick.
Kingsbury backed out because he got a better opportunity, probably in Washington where he can probably get Williams more easily than the Raiders can pull that off. To think things fell apart about being under contract with the Raiders one extra year is laughable.
What a tool.
I’m going to say….. I think he is a very good Coach & am hoping he gets back into the NFL soon. I would love to see his offensive schemes integrated into the Seahawk’s offense. I doubt he would want to sign on with Seattle, but I would think he’d add upside to their offense. Assuming, Coach MacDonald brings life into the Defensive side, that could work well. It will never happen. Just dreaming.