Klint Kubiak didn’t fall for the bait and didn’t wilt.
When asked if it was daunting to be sitting alongside Silver & Black legends during his introductory press conference as the new Las Vegas Raiders head coach, Kubiak didn’t blink.
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“It’s not daunting at all. It’s a blessing. That’s what you want to be,” Kubiak answered. “That’s what I want our players to want to achieve. I want them to see these guys, be surrounded by these guys, because that’s what their goals should be: win Super Bowls. The MVPs and Hall of Fame, that takes care of itself when the team wins. So, that’s what we’re going to be about, winning.”
And therein lies the rub: Winning.
The Raiders haven’t done much of that.
Success has been a fleeting thing for the Silver & Black. But as the winds of change — once again — flow through the halls of Raiders headquarters in Henderson and Allegiant Stadium, there is a sense of optimism. And Kubiak is at the forefront of that.
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Alongside general manager John Spytek, Kubiak is being given the keys to the kingdom. And good on him for not blowing smoke up everyone’s you-know-what and saying the quiet part out loud: “Yeah, I’ll just tell Raider Nation that like I said earlier, we have to earn your trust. We’ve got to earn those seats in the stands by putting a great product on the field. Words will not do it, it’s our actions.”
Owner Mark Davis echoed the sentiment when he did the media round after the introductory presser noting wins are what will make Raider Nation fill Allegiant on game days. And for the the team to get to that point, Kubiak has three big mountains to climb.
And the first isn’t the quarterback position.
The Trenches
Whomever Kubiak gets to coach and develop his offensive line, the bar is set extremely low. This is, of course, thanks to the incompetence and ineffectiveness of the the previous offensive line boss Brennan Carroll — the rotten apple of the Carroll coaching tree.
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It’ll be interesting to see if Kubiak has his eyes on John Benton to run the offensive line for the Raiders. A veteran of the coaching game, Benton spent the past two seasons doing that job for Kubiak. First with the New Orleans Saints in 2024 and the Seattle Seahawks this past season. The Kubiak connections run deep for Benton as he was Gary Kubiak’s (Klint’s dad) offensive line coach during the elder Kubiak’s run as Houston Texans head coach (2006-13).
That said, I’m intrigued to see what a competent coach can do with the current crop of Raiders offensive linemen and the additions that are likely to arrive in free agency mid-March and the 2026 NFL Draft in late April. Because the big uglies are the lifeblood of any NFL team and Kubiak’s offense cannot go if there’s another strong stench in the trench.
But this isn’t just about the offensive side of the ball. Kubiak’s choice for defensive coordinator is vital. Because if Kubiak does intend to bring true grit back to the Silver & Black, they’ll need to own the line of scrimmage — on offense and defense.
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The eventual defensive coordinator alongside the defensive line coach (Rob Leonard remains on staff/under contract as defensive run game coordinator/defensive line coach), will be the top two assigned with causing havoc in the trenches.
The Signal Caller
Now we get to the all-important quarterback position. But before we delve further: If Kubiak doesn’t get the offensive line on point, things will go terribly awry and the production of the signal caller, running back Ashton Jeanty, tight end Brock Bowers, et al, is likely to be scuttled.
But solving the quarterback conundrum remains a Raiders priority.
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Las Vegas does own the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft and are set to be flush with cap space, providing even more operating room for the new head coach. Kubiak even pointed to those resources as key selling points to take the gig. Currently, the two quarterbacks on the roster are veteran (and former head coach Pete Carroll’s favorite) Geno Smith and Aidan O’Connell who heads into his fourth season in the league. Kenny Pickett, who the Raiders sent a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns to obtain, is slated to be an unrestricted free agent.
Smith holds a $26.5 million cap number in 2026 and with Carroll gone, is likely going to be released (this comes with a $18.5 million dead money hit but a $8 million savings. O’Connell, meanwhile, is on the final year of his rookie deal and holds a $3.732-plus million cap number at age 27 (28 on September 1).
But with that top pick, the QB conversation always circles back to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza — the presumed favorite to be the Raiders’ selection. Hold your horses, says Kubiak.
“What an opportunity to get to go study this draft and we’ll come to that conclusion here soon enough. There’s a lot of work to be done before then, but it’s an opportunity to make the make the roster better,” Kubiak noted. “And not only do you have the first overall pick, but you’re picking early in all the other rounds too. So, looking forward to attacking that process with John (Spytek), our scouting department and the coaches working really closely together.”
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Stabilizing Presence
Say what you will about Davis as an owner. But I’ll give him this: He isn’t afraid to admit a mistake, even if it means paying for it. From Carroll, to Antonio Pierce, and Josh McDaniels, the Raiders cut bait with those head coaches and it was a hit to Davis’ bank account.
Kubiak’s arrival is another excursion in hopes of having a stabilizing presence at head coach.
Kubiak, like the other head honchos, won’t be going it alone. Spytek is going to have a huge hand as talent evaluator/acquirer and how those two work together will dictate the success (or failure) of the duo. Building the roster is one aspect, but the continued development of the acquired talent is a must-do.
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The Raiders new head coach completed his tour of duty with the Seahawks during the team’s Super Bowl LX victory parade in Seattle on Wednesday. Now comes the gargantuan task of getting the Raiders back on track. Fix the trenches, land the quarterback, and bring stability go a long way into getting that done.
“Whether it’s a rebuild, whether you’re on a returning roster with Super Bowl aspirations, to me, the work doesn’t change, preparation doesn’t change. Every team next year is going to start off undefeated at 0-0, so to me it doesn’t change much,” Kubiak said. “Obviously, it’s what you identify your team needs in the offseason, player acquisition wise, and then once April 15 starts, we’re all on the same plane.”
