As important as right tackle Abe Lucas and his knee is, the greatest determining factor for the Seahawks’ success this year will be how well they are coached. In the wake of Pete Carroll’s surprise exit, Seattle started over at the top this offseason, hiring former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, widely regarded as the top defensive playcaller in the NFL today. Macdonald’s key hire was offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, who might well have been the best offensive playcaller in college football the last couple years.
Grubb led a dynamic, exciting and pro style offense at Washington, helping turn quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (now with the Falcons) into an almost-Heisman winner and getting several Huskies skill players and linemen drafted. While it’s no guarantee that Grubb will find that kind of success at this level, expectations are high.
For example, Pro Football Focus has Grubb on their list of eight coordinators around the league who could make headlines in 2024. Here’s a portion of what they shared about Grubb:
“Grubb led one of the nation’s best offenses in Washington, which produced a ridiculous seven draft picks in 2024, including six in the first three rounds. The coordinator’s development of Michael Penix Jr. and three NFL-caliber receivers in Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan was remarkable. It was thought Grubb would follow Kalen DeBoer to Alabama, but the 48-year-old opted to stay out west, taking the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator job under Macdonald. With Smith, D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Kenneth Walker, Noah Fant and more at his disposal, Seattle’s offense should be terrific in 2024 — especially if Grubb complements route concepts and mixes looks as much as he did with the Huskies.”
Trouble is – and PFF agrees – even if Grubb does end up being the genius they hope he is and he turns this into an elite offense even with a bad OL, odds are he won’t be around long enough to take this group to the top. Great offensive coordinators rarely stay offensive coordinators for long at this level. They tend to become head coaches. That was one strong argument against hiring a defensive-minded head coach in the first place, but it’s too late to put that bray back in the donkey.
As PFF also mentioned later, the key here is offensive line play. At Washington Grubb had the benefit of calling plays with the best unit in the nation. Now, he might have the worst offensive line in the NFL. Exactly how well Grubb navigates that gap will be a massive deal for the Seahawks this year.
