Raiders To Interview Seahawks’ Jeff Howard For DC
After interviewing Aubrey Pleasant today, the Raiders will continue the search for their new defensive coordinator tomorrow. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Las Vegas will interview Seahawks safeties coach Jeff Howard for the position on Saturday. 
Following a playing career as a linebacker at Eastern New Mexico, Howard immediately turned to the coaching route, heading over the border into Texas to become the defensive coordinator at Odessa Permian HS (TX) of Friday Night Lights fame. After four years of high school coaching, Howard remained in West Texas after accepting a position as offensive line assistant at Texas Tech. He was quickly moved to the other side of the ball as a defensive quality control coach working with safeties.
Howard made the jump to the NFL two years later, joining the Vikings as assistant to the head coach. He was promoted to defensive assistant in 2014 before being named assistant linebackers coach the next season. He spent his last season in Minnesota in an assistant defensive backs coaching role before heading to Cleveland in 2020 to serve as defensive backs coach/pass game coordinator. After three years with the Browns, Howard joined the Chargers for a year as linebackers coach before being named to Mike Macdonald‘s defensive staff in Seattle as safeties coach.
In two years in Seattle, Howard helped develop a talented safeties room comprised of Coby Bryant, Julian Love, Ty Okada, and rookie roamer Nick Emmanwori. After 13 years of NFL coaching experience, Howard is getting his first opportunity to interview for a coordinator role in the NFL. If he were hired, Howard would be following new head coach Klint Kubiak in the trip from Seattle to Las Vegas. The two also coached together for a year in Minnesota, where Kubiak served as quarterbacks coach before earning his first offensive coordinator opportunity.
Howard will be the team’s second candidate to interview for the position tomorrow, following Pleasant’s meeting today. A number of other candidates have been rumored, though, with more potential interviews expected.
Raiders Hire Mike McCoy As Assistant Head Coach
The Raiders have hired Mike McCoy as an assistant head coach on Klint Kubiak‘s new staff, per a team announcement.
McCoy, 53, spent the 2025 season with the Titans. He was first hired as a senior offensive assistant and was later named interim head coach after the team fired Brian Callahan. McCoy has spent the last 26 years coaching in the NFL in a variety of offensive roles, including two coordinator stints with the Broncos and one with the Cardinals. McCoy was also the Chargers’ head coach from 2013 to 2016, during which time he compiled a 27-37 record with just one playoff berth.
Kubiak worked under McCoy during his second stint as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator in 2017. The pair will now reunite in Las Vegas, where McCoy will add plenty of experience to the staff of a first-time head coach with only two years of coordinator experience. With experience with several teams including four years in the top job, McCoy will be able to help Kubiak navigate his new job.
McCoy may also have a role working with the Raiders’ quarterbacks, whether it be veteran Geno Smith or potential No. 1 draft pick Fernando Mendoza. A former CFL quarterback himself, McCoy has worked with a variety of quarterbacks in his career as a position coach, offensive coordinator, and head coach. His history with the position is not especially strong, though he rarely worked with a passer that later found success elsewhere.
Philip Rivers led the league in completion percentage and won Comeback Player of the Year in McCoy’s first season in San Diego. He then threw 52 interceptions from 2014 to 2016, the most in the NFL in that span. Something similar happened with Trevor Lawrence while McCoy served as the Jaguars’ quarterbacks coach from 2022 to 2024. After a disappointing showing as a rookie in 2021, Lawrence broke out in 2022 before regressing in his next two seasons.
Seahawks Blocked Raiders’ Justin Outten Interview Request
The Seahawks could not block offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak from taking the Raiders’ head coaching job, but they are attempting to keep some of his assistants in Seattle.
The Raiders requested to interview Justin Outten – currently the Seahawks’ run game specialist/assistant offensive line coach – for a run game coordinator role in Las Vegas. That would represent a lateral move, so the Seahawks were able to block the interview, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Outten is among the Seahawks’ candidates to replace Kubiak, so the team understandably does not want him to leave until they complete their offensive coordinator hiring process. If they go in a different direction, the Seahawks could release Outten to pursue a job in Las Vegas, as the Ravens did with some of their assistants after officially hiring Jesse Minter. However, Seattle seems headed for an internal promotion to fill their OC vacancy, in which case the new hire may want to keep as much of Kubiak’s staff intact as possible.
Seahawks defensive backs coach/pass game specialist Karl Scott is also staying in Seattle, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. He interviewed for the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator vacancy and was among the initial candidates to serve as Kubiak’s DC. The Raiders did not submit an official interview request for Scott, and he has now pre-empted such a meeting with his decision. Scott will likely be in the mix for defensive coordinator jobs next year.
Raiders To Interview Aubrey Pleasant For Defensive Coordinator
The Raiders have requested and received permission to interview Rams assistant head coach/pass-game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant for their defensive coordinator job, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Pleasant will meet with the Raiders today.
With the Cardinals deciding to retain defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, there are only three DC openings left in the NFL. The Patriots and Browns have the other vacancies. While New England is expected to promote 2025 play-caller Zak Kuhr from inside linebackers coach, Pleasant is a candidate to wind up in Cleveland. He’d face the tall task of replacing Jim Schwartz on first-year head coach Todd Monken‘s staff.
Patrick Graham was the Raiders’ DC for the past four seasons, but the Steelers hired him for the same post on Jan. 30. The Raiders have since picked a new head coach in former Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who knows Pleasant well from their time as former NFC West adversaries.
Kubiak was the 49ers’ offensive pass-game coordinator in 2023, the same year the division-rival Rams brought in Pleasant. The teams split their two matchups that season. While Kubiak left the division to run the Saints’ offense in 2024, he did face the Rams again in a 21-14 loss.
Kubiak returned to the NFC West last season to take on Pleasant and the Rams in three crucial matchups. The Seahawks picked up two wins, including a 31-27 triumph in the NFC title game. After the Seahawks cruised to a 29-13 win over the Patriots in Super Bowl LX last Sunday, Kubiak officially joined the Raiders. He’s now behind the 8-ball in scrambling to fill his coaching staff in mid-February, but Pleasant could be a strong pickup during the late stage of the coordinator hiring cycle.
Pleasant has no experience running a defense, though he has garnered significant experience as a coach since he began as an intern with the Browns in 2013. He has also served as an assistant with Washington, Detroit and Green Bay. Several teams have interviewed Pleasant for DC gigs since 2022, and this could be the offseason he finally lands one of those jobs.
Whether the Raiders hire Pleasant or someone else, trade rumors centering on their best defensive player, Maxx Crosby, are likely to persist. Thanks in part to a fifth straight Pro Bowl effort from Crosby, the Raiders ranked a respectable 14th in total defense in 2025. Trading the pass-rushing star wouldn’t do their next defensive coordinator any favors, but the Raiders may bite if another team makes a massive offer.
Raiders Need Micah Parsons-Like Trade Haul To Deal Maxx Crosby?
Maxx Crosby has not requested a trade, and both Mark Davis and Klint Kubiak have attempted to calm the waters after a few reports have indicated the star edge rusher wants nothing to do with another rebuild. A staring contest may emerge here, as the Raiders are understandably setting a high asking price.
Las Vegas would want a Micah Parsons-level return in a Crosby trade, veteran insider Jordan Schultz notes. The Cowboys received two first-rounders and Kenny Clark from the Packers last August. Parsons was 26 at the time of the trade, while Crosby is entering an age-29 season. That will affect the trade compensation, but Crosby being tied to a team-friendlier contract compared to what the Packers needed to authorize would help the Raiders’ case for a two-first-rounder package as well.
Pass rushers generally do not fetch this kind of return, but the Raiders were part of the other notable pickup. The Bears’ Khalil Mack package featured two firsts just before the 2018 season. After the Raiders finished with only 13 sacks in 2018, Crosby — as a 2019 fourth-round pick — stepped in to anchor the unit. He was part of Jon Gruden‘s rebuild effort, and the team has continued to cycle through head coaches and GMs since.
With Fernando Mendoza likely coming to Vegas, the team is set for another rebuild. Crosby has made it known he wants no part of that route, with a report indicating his camp is telling teams the the five-time Pro Bowler seeks a fresh start. This could lead to a staredown.
Like Parsons, Mack needed a new contract post-trade. Crosby’s $35.5MM-per-year extension runs through 2029, giving this trade landscape an interesting wrinkle. It took a $40MM-AAV extension for Myles Garrett to come off his hardline trade ask last year. Like Crosby, Garrett was dissatisfied with being an All-Pro talent in a rebuilding situation. Garrett had not been paid since 2020, but with Crosby being extended last March, it would be a surprise if this contract is a big issue.
Both Bradley Chubb and Frank Clark fetched first-round picks and other draft assets. Clark cost the Chiefs first-, second- and third-rounders, though Kansas City snared a third-rounder back from Seattle in that 2019 swap. Chubb and Clark were younger than Crosby at the time of the trades, but each also signed a new contract shortly after being moved. Ditto Jared Allen in 2008, who brought first- and third-rounders back to Kansas City from Minnesota. A pass rusher of Crosby’s age and caliber being moved without new money being involved adds intrigue here.
The Raiders do not have to act. Davis has slammed the door on trade interest in the past, and Kubiak is obviously interested in the Raiders keeping their top player to start his HC tenure. Crosby expressing frustration to the point this becomes a messy situation for the Raiders would bring a test for Davis, John Spytek and Tom Brady. Teams are unable to waive fines for players on veteran contracts who hold out of training camp. That would bring a test for Crosby’s motivation to leave Nevada.
Las Vegas’ front office-led effort to shut down Crosby — in a week where Brock Bowers was also placed on IR — irked the accomplished EDGE, and trade rumors have continually emerged since. Crosby did undergo surgery to repair his meniscus, and a monthslong recovery is on tap. This could slow trade talks, though with the eighth-year veteran not being in jeopardy of missing regular-season time, it would be hard to believe trade action would stop because of this rehab process.
It would make sense for the Raiders to move Crosby before the draft, if they ultimately do decide to ignite a bidding war, to accumulate assets to help Mendoza in his rookie year. The Cowboys and Gruden-era Raiders respectively waited until the late-summer trade window to move Parsons and Mack. How Crosby navigates the coming weeks will determine how serious the prospect of his Vegas exit becomes.
Cardinals Interviewed Seahawks DBs Coach Karl Scott For DC Job
The Cardinals are continuing to interview potential defensive coordinators to serve under new head coach Mike LaFleur.
The latest addition to the list is Seahawk defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator Karl Scott, who has already completed an interview for the job, per CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.
Scott, 40, is a longtime defensive backs coach who came up with a number fo college programs. After stints as the defensive backs coach at Texas Tech and Alabama – the latter of which included time with Xavier McKinney, Trevon Diggs, and Patrick Surtain – Scott moved to the NFL in 2021. He spent a year as the Vikings’ defensive backs coach but was not retained on Kevin O’Connell‘s new staff the following year.
Scott then moved to Seattle, where he has served as the defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator for the last four seasons. He has found success with a long list of defensive backs: cornerbacks Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, and Josh Jobe and safeties Julian Love, Nick Emmanwori, Coby Bryant, and Ty Okada.
Those results have earned Scott interest from multiple teams for DC jobs in recent offseasons. Spending two years under Mike Macdonald has only boosted his resume for this year’s hiring cycle. He is a rumored candidate to follow Klint Kubiak to Las Vegas to become the Raiders’ DC and interviewed for the Commanders’ job last month.
In Arizona, Scott would be tasked with reviving a Cardinals defense that struggled under Jonathan Gannon despite his background on that side of the ball. They have a young cornerback corps with plenty of potential with safety Budda Baker serving as the unit’s anchor for the last several years. Scott’s expertise in secondary play makes him a strong candidate to get the most out of that group, which may allow the team to invest more resources in other areas of need.
Raiders To Interview Seahawks WRs Coach Frisman Jackson For OC Job
Like many new head coaches, Klint Kubiak is looking to his former staff in Seattle to help fill his new one in Las Vegas.
The Raiders are expected to interview Seahawks wide receivers coach Frisman Jackson for their offensive coordinator vacancy, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. He is the first candidate to interview for the job, though Seahawks quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko is viewed as an early frontrunner.
Jackson, 46, has played or coached the wide receiver position since 1997. After five years in college –split between Northern Illinois and Western Illinois – Jackson caught on with the Browns as an undrafted rookie in 2002. He primarily served as a returner and managed to carve out a rotational role in 2004 and 2005, but he did not play in 2006 or 2007 and retired from playing the following year.
Jackson then began coaching wide receivers at the college level, starting at Western Illinois and continuing with four other programs, including his other alma mater. His first NFL job came with the Titans in 2017, and after returning to the college level for two years at Baylor, he made a permanent move back to the pros. He spent two years in Carolina and two in Pittsburgh before landing in Seattle, where he survived the team’s offensive coordinator change from Ryan Grubb in 2024 to Kubiak in 2025.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba took massive strides under Jackson, going from 63 receptions for 628 receiving yards in 2023 to 100 receptions for 1,130 receiving yards in 2024. In 2025, he jumped to 119 catches and a league-leading 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Raiders have a few young talents at receiver, but none anywhere near Smith-Njigba’s level, so Jackson would be tasked with raising the overall floor of the unit as the team looks for bigger upgrades in free agency and the draft.
Klint Kubiak Was Cardinals’ Preferred HC
During their search for a head coach to replace the fired Jonathan Gannon, the Cardinals identified NFC West offensive coordinators Klint Kubiak (Seahawks) and Mike LaFleur (Rams) as favorites. Both coaches interviewed with Arizona twice, but LaFleur was the pick after Kubiak agreed to take the Raiders’ job.
If the Cardinals had their way, they’d have hired Kubiak instead of LaFleur, an NFL general manager told Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom. They’d have been willing to wait until after the Super Bowl to make it official, as the Raiders did.
“Trust me, Kubiak was their guy,” said the GM, who also had interest in hiring Kubiak. “They would have done whatever they could to get him, but it wasn’t going to happen. They would have waited as long as it took. And then they had to scramble.”
The Cardinals aren’t known for spending big on head coaches or assistants, as La Canfora notes, but they’d have veered from their usual modus operandi in this instance. It’s easy to understand why Kubiak went in another direction, though, and it begins with the presence of influential Raiders minority owner and legendary quarterback Tom Brady. The seven-time Super Bowl champion “made a unique appeal to Kubiak,” La Canfora writes.
In joining Brady and the Raiders, Kubiak will grab the reins of a team that could reel in a long-term quarterback solution with the first pick in this year’s draft. After winning the Heisman Trophy and national championship at Indiana in 2025, Fernando Mendoza is the overwhelming favorite to become a Raider in late April.
The Cardinals, on the other hand, don’t have an answer at the game’s foremost position. Although they drafted another former Heisman winner, Kyler Murray, first overall in 2019, they’re now hoping to trade him seven years later. Arizona joins Las Vegas in owning a premium draft pick (No. 3 overall), but barring an unexpected development, there isn’t a QB in this class worth taking that high. It’s not considered a strong group of signal-callers beyond Mendoza. That’s a harsh reality for the Cardinals and other QB-needy teams near the top of the first round.
In addition to the No. 1 pick in the draft, the Raiders possess the league’s second-most cap space ($91.52MM, per OverTheCap). The Cardinals are also in good shape in that regard, but at $42.19MM, they’re about $50MM behind the Raiders.
Both LaFleur and Kubiak have their work cut out in turning around long-suffering franchises, but it should be more difficult for the Cardinals. While Kubiak will walk into a very tough AFC West and battle the Broncos, Chargers and Chiefs, the NFC West was the best division in the league in 2025.
Kubiak’s Super Bowl-winning Seahawks, LaFleur’s Rams and the 49ers combined to go a dominant 38-13 in the regular season. All three swept the 3-14 Cardinals. Now, after losing out on Kubiak, the Cardinals are left to hope LaFleur will lead them out of the basement.
Mark Davis: Maxx Crosby ‘A Great Raider’
Even though defensive end Maxx Crosby has been in the Raiders’ building rehabbing from a left knee injury, he reportedly doesn’t want to play for them anymore. A blockbuster offseason trade centering on the five-time Pro Bowler could be in the offing, but rookie head coach Klint Kubiak and owner Mark Davis are hoping it doesn’t come to that.
Immediately after winning Super Bowl LX as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator on Sunday, Kubiak officially took the top job in Las Vegas. Before his introductory press conference on Tuesday, Kubiak had coffee with Crosby.
While Kubiak didn’t go into detail about his meeting with Crosby, who didn’t attend the news conference, he told the media his desire is for the pass-rushing dynamo to remain in place (via Ryan McFadden of ESPN).
“We want him to be a part of our success going forward. There’s no doubt about that,” Kubiak said. “He’s one of the best players in the NFL, so that’s a no-brainer to get to work with Maxx and see him continue to have success with his organization.”
Also asked about Crosby, Davis stated: “He is a great Raider. He’s gone through a lifetime of development here for seven or eight years, and he still is a Raider. So, it’s all good.”
Whether it’s truly “all good” between Crosby and the Raiders is up in the air, especially after a contentious ending to 2025. With two games left and the Raiders vying for the No. 1 pick (which they went on to secure), they used Crosby’s knee injury as an excuse to shut him down for the season. That didn’t sit well with Crosby, who wanted to play through it. He has since undergone a meniscus repair that could prevent him from returning to full strength for a few months.
Crosby’s knee bothered him for a large portion of the season, but he still managed 73 tackles, 53 pressures, 20 QB hits, 10 sacks, six pass deflections and two forced fumbles in 15 games. Pro Football Focus ranked Crosby as the game’s 15th-best edge player among 119 qualifiers. Although he’s not 100% at the moment, the 28-year-old’s trade value should be sky-high.
If the Raiders deal Crosby, an acquiring team presumably wouldn’t have to work out a new contract after he inked a three-year, $106.5MM extension last March. The Raiders shut down trade rumors centering on Crosby then, and it appeared that would remain the case for the foreseeable future. But after a 3-14 campaign that ended with Crosby going on injured reserve against his wishes, the seven-year Raider’s future with the team is in question for the second offseason in a row.
Jason Tarver, Joe Woods Among Names To Watch For Raiders DC Job
It sounds like Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak could be zeroing in on an offensive coordinator, but the status on the defensive side of the ball isn’t as clear. While Jim Schwartz was initially mentioned as a preferred option for the DC job, it’s seeming increasingly likely that the veteran coach will sit out the 2026 campaign.
[RELATED: Andrew Janocko Favorite To Become Raiders’ OC?]
If the Raiders aren’t able to recruit Schwartz to Las Vegas, Kubiak will have to look elsewhere for a defensive leader. Albert Breer of SI.com provides several names that could emerge as candidates for the gig, including Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen, Seahawks pass-game coordinator Karl Scott, Browns linebackers coach Jason Tarver, and Raiders defensive backs coach Joe Woods.
Cullen would bring plenty of experience to Las Vegas, as the 58-year-old has been coaching since the early 1990s. He got his first NFL gig with the Lions in 2006 and has spent most of his professional coaching career as a defensive line coach. Following a five-year stint in that role with the Ravens, he got a chance as a defensive coordinator with the Jaguars in 2021. However, with Urban Meyer failing to make it through one full season and the organization seeking a fresh start in 2022, Cullen wasn’t retained. He quickly caught on with the Chiefs, where he’s earned a pair of Super Bowl rings in four seasons.
While Kubiak is eyeing some offensive coaches from his old staff, Scott is the only current member of Seattle’s defensive staff that’s been connected to a Raiders gig. The 40-year-old spent years coaching defensive backs in college before getting hired by the Vikings for that same role in 2021. He was recruited to Seattle in 2022, and he stuck on the staff after the team switched from Pete Carroll to Mike Macdonald. During his time with the Seahawks, Scott has been credited with the development of Devon Witherspoon, Coby Bryant, and Riq Woolen.
A Tarver hire would represent a bit of a homecoming for the coach, as he actually served as the Raiders defensive coordinator under Dennis Allen between 2012 and 2014. He stuck through multiple head coaches in San Francisco, where he served as the 49ers linebackers coach, and he later had a two-year stint as Vanderbilt’s defensive coordinator. Most recently, the 51-year-old has served as the Browns linebackers coach, a job he’s held since the 2020 season.
Woods joined the Raiders ahead of the 2025 season as their pass-game coordinator, and Breer notes that the coach is expected to stick with the organization despite the change in leadership. The veteran coach has had multiple stints as defensive coordinator in stops with the Broncos, Browns, and Saints. While Woods guided several of his units to top-10 showings, the majority of his defenses were middle-of-the-road. A new coaching staff spelled the end of his tenure in New Orleans, although he was already on thin ice following a 2024 season where the Saints ranked 30th in yards allowed.
While the Raiders showed interest in Texans secondary coach Dino Vasso, the 38-year-old won’t be heading to Las Vegas. Vasso inked a new deal to stick on Houston’s coaching staff, taking him out of contention for the promotion.