Perhaps the squad should go back in time and reconnect with a familiar face. As the Seattle Seahawks continue to look for a new offensive coordinator, one name stands out as a strong prospect. Seattle has apparently scheduled a second interview with someone other than Hank Fraley, Grand Udinski, and Kilint Kubiak. Rather, it’s a well-known name who was abruptly and arguably unfairly fired after three very solid seasons in Seattle.
With Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy being fired earlier this week, it’s widely assumed that his coaching staff in Dallas will be seeking for a new home by 2025. That includes Brian Schottenheimer, who was Seattle’s offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2020 before joining Dallas. Schottenheimer will probably be
a desirable commodity this off-season. Schottenheimer, who has overseen three consecutive top-ten offenses in his three seasons in Seattle, will most certainly be available this offseason. Since Schottenheimer’s departure in 2020, the Seahawks’ offense has yet to match the firepower and production they had with him, so why not return to the well? Seattle experimented with inexperienced coordinators Shane Waldron and Ryan Grubb, but in four years together, they never finished in the top 16 in total offense.
Why should the Seahawks bring back Brian Schottenheimer?
Schottenheimer, or “Skybox Schotty” as he was nicknamed in Seattle, oversaw an exciting and highly productive offense with the Seahawks. Under Schottenheimer, quarterback Russell Wilson had career years, with a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 106-25. Wilson was an excellent quarterback on his own, but it’s worth looking at his recent breakthrough under Schottenheimer. Wilson never looked this good before or after Schotty.
Perhaps more importantly than calling a quarterback-friendly approach, Schottenheimer called a balanced offense that had outstanding output from his running backs. Chris Carson, who participated in all but a few games in 2018 and 2019, carried for 1,151 and 1,230 yards on 247 and 278 rushes, respectively. To put such figures in perspective,
Chris Carson alone rushed for nearly as many yards in a single season as Seattle as a whole in 2024, with 1,627 yards, ranking 23rd in the league. Schottenheimer’s Seahawks offense led the league in rushing in 2018, and then finished fourth the following year.
Schottenheimer has been on fire in Dallas since his firing in Seattle, which is largely considered to be due to Russell Wilson’s need for a new offensive coordinator and Pete Carroll’s willingness to please Wilson. He was able to get the most out of quarterback Dak Prescott and even backup quarterbacks like Cooper Rush, as he led one of the league’s best offenses for multiple years in a row. In
Schottenheimer’s offense finished in the top 10 of the league in scoring in both 2022 and 2023, with a healthy Dak Prescott leading the way in the latter year. Despite having poor running backs, the Cowboys consistently finished in the top 10 in rushing under Schotty’s tenure.
Schottenheimer’s system is as balanced as it gets, with a powerful run game that fluidly transitions into play-action passes. Since 2021, one element has been absent from Seattle’s offense: the play-action game. In 2024, this became brutally clear as the run game looked to vanish and Geno Smith was left hanging as defenders stood back in cover-two, daring him to throw.
Both Geno Smith and the receivers would benefit greatly with a more balanced approach, including play-action calls that do not simply allow defenders to sit back in coverage.
With head coach Mike Macdonald and former offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb reportedly having differing philosophical views, Schottenheimer may be the best fit for this team. Schotty prefers to establish the run before delving deeper into the playbook, which is the polar opposite of what Grubb want in Seattle.
As a defensive-minded head coach, Macdonald is likely to favor playing a hard style of offense and managing the clock as Seattle searches for its next play-caller.
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