Gary Kubiak’s been out of the spotlight after retiring as the head coach of the Denver Broncos last year due to health issues.

It’s been the first time Kubiak and his wife, Rhonda have enjoyed a relaxing Christmas in decades since Gary has been either playing or coaching since 1983, though technically he’s still the senior personnel advisor for the Broncos.

Despite Kubiak’s absence this season, he could be making a return to the sidelines in 2018. According to columnist Woody Paige at the Gazette, Kubiak could make a return to the sidelines next season — just not as a head coach.

“Kubiak always was The Reluctant Head Coach, preferring to stay in the background and “coach” rather than deal with myriad duties of the head man,” Paige wrote. “He likely will return next season as an offensive coordinator somewhere in the league – possibly with the 49ers and Kyle Shanahan, who had served as Kubiak’s young offensive coordinator.”

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Shanahan worked under Kubiak with the Houston Texans from 2007 to 2009 as the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. Shanahan is responsible for calling the plays for the 49ers, but having Kubiak on the staff would certainly be beneficial given his background.

Kubiak led the Denver Broncos to a Super Bowl victory in 2015, and he has established himself as one of the top offensive minds in the sport. The combination of him and Shanahan working with Jimmy Garoppolo could result in a highly productive offense.

The main concern with Kubiak is his health. He had to be placed in an ambulance in a game against the Atlanta Falcons last year after suffering from flu-like symptoms, and his health issues eventually led to his resignation just one year after winning the Super Bowl.


But if he is available, several teams would likely be interested in Kubiak as an offensive coordinator. The 49ers would make the most sense, but he would be a good fit with numerous teams throughout the league.