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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JANUARY 25: Xavier Smith #19 of the Los Angeles Rams muffs a punt as Dareke Young #83 of the Seattle Seahawks recovers the ball during the third quarter in the NFC Championship game at Lumen Field on January 25, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jane Gershovich/Getty Images)
The Seattle Seahawks, as they have gotten familiar with this offseason, have lost another member of their 2025 Super Bowl Champion roster.
On Thursday, Ari Meirov on Twitter reported that Seahawks wide receiver/special teams ace Dareke Young is signing with the Las Vegas Raiders and reuniting with his former offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak.
Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and the Seahawks are experiencing that firsthand with the amount of talent that has been poached from their roster this offseason. So far, the Seahawks have lost Kenneth Walker III, Coby Bryant, Riq Woolen, and Boye Mafe, among others. Now, Young will look for greener pastures in Las Vegas.
Fits the System
Dareke Young, since he was drafted in the seventh round by the Seahawks in 2022, has primarily been a special teams player. However, last offseason, under Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, Young started turning heads in training camp at wide receiver.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald took notice and remarked on how well Young fit into Kubiak’s system. Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune in September 2025 wrote about Macdonald’s comments on Young.
“I think this is a great system for him because he can show his physicality in the run game, and he’s really fast, so all the vertical, stretch stuff,” Macdonald said, “And then just him in and out of his breaks is just way more decisive. You feel the burst, feel the flexibility, which is a tribute to his work ethic and the work he put on his body.”
Young didn’t make much of an impact as a receiver last season. Still, he made one of the biggest plays of the season for the Seahawks in the NFC Championship game when he recovered a muffed punt by the Rams’ punt returner, Xavier Smith, and put the Seahawks in scoring position.
Whether it’s as a receiver or special teams member, Kubiak hopes to utilize his versatility in Las Vegas.
Lessons From Seattle
Klint Kubiak isn’t only taking players from the Seahawks; he’s also utilizing lessons he learned in the building.
Working under Mike Macdonald last season, Kubiak got to see the high level at which a championship-winning head coach and organization operate.
ESPN’s Ryan McFadden wrote about what Kubiak said he learned from Macdonald during his introductory press conference with the Raiders.
“I saw [Macdonald] be so collaborative with the building and how closely he worked with the general manager and the owner, and just how clear the communication was,” Kubiak said. “We were all on the same page. He had a vision, and he was the same guy from April to February, and that’s something that I’ll definitely take with me.”
Kubiak will need to lean on his lessons and experience from last year with the Seahawks to help turn around a Raiders franchise that has played in just two playoff games over the last 20 years. The Raiders’ next season will be led by youth and enthusiasm, featuring a first-time head coach, offensive and defensive coordinators, and likely a rookie quarterback at the helm.
Chad Gelfand Chad Gelfand is a journalist covering the NFL with focus on the Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks, and Carolina Panthers for Heavy.com. Gelfand has over six years of writing experience.
Gelfand previously covered the Philadelphia Eagles for Last Word On Sports. He also has experience writing in the worlds of entertainment and wrestling.
Gelfand was an Entertainment writer for the List.com, and a contributor for Fansided’s wrestling website Daily DDT and The Wrestling Estate. Gelfand has also appeared multiple times as a guest on POST Wrestling’s “Bushby and Thompson’s Wrestling Adventure” podcast. More about Chad Gelfand
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