Leadership and Coordinators
- Owner: Mark Davis Davis again reset football operations after a three-win season, pairing John Spytek and Klint Kubiak around a new franchise quarterback.
- Decision Maker: John Spytek — General Manager Spytek selected Fernando Mendoza first overall and reshaped the veteran core. The younger roster now needs patient development.
- Head Coach: Klint Kubiak The former Seattle coordinator must modernize the offense, develop Mendoza and make Las Vegas competitive inside a difficult division.
- Offensive Coordinator: Andrew Janocko Janocko’s quarterback-coaching background makes Mendoza’s mechanics, protections and weekly workload his central responsibility.
- Defensive Coordinator: Rob Leonard Leonard must create complementary pressure around Maxx Crosby and stabilize a changing secondary.
- Special Teams Coordinator: Joe DeCamillis DeCamillis inherits punter AJ Cole and new kicker Matt Gay.
2025 Season Recap
The Raiders’ 2025 season began with a promising road win and ended with a memorable division victory, but almost everything between those moments demonstrated how far the organization still had to travel. Las Vegas finished 3–14, last in the AFC West, while scoring only 241 points and allowing 432.
The record produced the first overall selection in the 2026 draft and led to another coaching change, with Pete Carroll departing after one season and Klint Kubiak taking over.
Las Vegas opened by beating New England 20–13, an encouraging start that suggested Carroll’s experience and a veteran quarterback might immediately raise the floor. Instead, the Raiders won only once over their next 15 games.
A 10-game losing streak carried into the finale, and too many Sundays followed the same outline: the offense fell behind schedule, the quarterback absorbed pressure, the defense spent too long on the field and the margin disappeared before the fourth quarter.
Geno Smith completed 67.4 percent of his passes for 3,025 yards and 19 touchdowns, but his 17 interceptions captured the offense’s volatility. Protection was a persistent problem, Smith was sacked 55 times, and difficult down-and-distance situations encouraged forced throws.
The Raiders could complete routine passes, yet they rarely sustained the combination of protection, separation and explosive gains needed to create a dependable scoring identity. Finishing last in the division in points reflected failures across the entire unit rather than one position alone.
Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty provided the clearest source of optimism. He rushed for 975 yards and five touchdowns on 266 carries, then added enough receiving production to finish with 1,321 yards from scrimmage, a Raiders rookie record. His 3.7 yards per carry showed how often he encountered traffic before reaching space, but his contact balance and workload tolerance remained evident. Jeanty led all NFL rookies in rushing and gave the next coaching staff a legitimate offensive foundation.
The receiving production was concentrated. Tre Tucker led the team with 696 yards and scored five touchdowns, while Brock Bowers caught 64 passes for 680 yards and a team-high seven scores despite an interrupted season.
Bowers continued to look like the rare tight end capable of functioning as a primary receiving weapon. Still, the passing game needed more consistent outside wins and better answers against pressure. Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton Jr. flashed as rookies, but the young group did not yet provide enough stability to transform the offense.
Defensively, Maxx Crosby remained the standard. He reached 10 sacks and continued to command blocking attention even when opponents knew Las Vegas needed him to create the disruption. Devin White piled up 174 tackles, and Jeremy Chinn added 114, totals that also reflected how frequently plays reached the second and third levels.
The Raiders lacked enough complementary pressure and coverage consistency to turn Crosby’s impact into a complete defense. Allowing 432 points left little room for an offense already struggling to sustain drives.
The finale offered a needed glimpse of resilience. Las Vegas beat Kansas City 14–12 on Daniel Carlson’s 60-yard field goal, ended its long losing streak and recorded its first AFC West win since 2023. The defense produced eight sacks, and the Raiders finished a punishing season with a result that rewarded continued effort. It did not change the evaluation of the year, but it showed that the remaining core had not disengaged.
The offseason response was sweeping. Smith was moved, the coaching staff was rebuilt, the offensive line gained Tyler Linderbaum and Spencer Burford, and the defense added veterans at every level.
Most importantly, Las Vegas selected Mendoza first overall and paired him with Kirk Cousins, creating both a long-term direction and an experienced alternative. The Raiders do not need Mendoza to solve every problem immediately; they need Kubiak to create an offense that lets him develop without inheriting the chaos that overwhelmed the 2025 passing game.
The 2026 season is therefore less about instant contention than credible progress. Better protection, fewer turnovers, continued growth from Jeanty and Bowers, and a defense that is more than Crosby’s individual brilliance would constitute a meaningful reset. After years of short-lived plans, the most important win would be establishing one worth keeping.
2025 AFC West Standing
- 1. Denver Broncos — 14–3 (5–1 division) — Lost CC PF: 401 · PA: 311
- 2. Los Angeles Chargers — 11–6 (5–1 division) — Lost WC PF: 368 · PA: 340
- 3. Kansas City Chiefs — 6–11 (1–5 division) — Missed Playoffs PF: 362 · PA: 328
- 4. Las Vegas Raiders — 3–14 (1–5 division) — Missed Playoffs PF: 241 · PA: 432
Las Vegas scored the division’s fewest points and allowed the most. Its 1–5 AFC West record confirmed the need of the rebuild.
Notable 2026 Player Additions
- QB Kirk Cousins Cousins understands play action and timing concepts. He can steady the offense while Mendoza develops or support the rookie from the sideline.
- C Tyler Linderbaum Linderbaum’s movement skills and command should improve a line that surrendered too much pressure.
- G Spencer Burford Burford adds starting experience and athleticism inside for both protection and the run game.
- LB Nakobe Dean Dean brings range and coverage ability, but injuries make availability the central question.
- LB Quay Walker Walker supplies size, pursuit speed and coverage flexibility at the second level.
- EDGE Kwity Paye Paye can defend early downs and exploit attention directed toward Crosby.
- CB Taron Johnson Johnson’s slot coverage and communication should help organize a young secondary.
- WR Jalen Nailor Nailor adds needed vertical speed outside the numbers.
- K Matt Gay Gay replaces Daniel Carlson in a role demanding steadiness while the offense develops.
Notable 2026 Player Losses
- QB Geno Smith (trade, Jets) His departure ends the former plan after a single season and resets the offense around Mendoza and Cousins.
- K Daniel Carlson Carlson leaves after years as one of the roster’s most trusted specialists.
- LB Devin White Dean and Walker must replace his team-leading 174 tackles while improving second-level defense.
- G Dylan Parham His exit removes an experienced starter from a reconstructed interior that must establish continuity quickly.
- WR Tyler Lockett His departure turns more receiver work toward Nailor and recent draft choices.
- QB Kenny Pickett Cousins and Mendoza now fill the veteran-developmental structure at quarterback.
2026 Draft Class
- Round 1, Pick 1 — QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana His size, anticipation and command fit Kubiak’s timing offense. Protection and patient development remain essential.
- Round 2, Pick 38 — S Treydan Stukes, Arizona A fast, rangy safety with immediate special-teams value and long-term starting potential.
- Round 3, Pick 67 — DE Keyron Crawford, Auburn A long, strong edge setter whose injured-reserve placement delays his debut.
- Round 3, Pick 91 — G Trey Zuhn III, Texas A&M His frame and tackle background bring flexibility; technique will determine when he can start.
- Round 4, Pick 101 — CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee A competitive outside corner with ball skills and an immediate route to snaps.
- Round 4, Pick 122 — RB Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas A big, fast complement to Jeanty with special-teams potential.
- Round 5, Pick 150 — S Dalton Johnson, Arizona Johnson brings tackling toughness, range and special-teams potential.
- Round 5, Pick 175 — CB Hezekiah Masses, California A long developmental corner whose earliest route is through special teams.
- Round 6, Pick 195 — WR Malik Benson, Oregon A field-stretching receiver who must develop into a more complete route runner.
- Round 7, Pick 229 — DT Brandon Cleveland, NC State A developmental run defender who returned on the practice squad after being waived.
2026 Spotlight Watch
- Hot Seat — Aidan O’Connell Mendoza and Cousins leave O’Connell fighting to preserve a role. His processing and accuracy must distinguish him from an emergency third quarterback.
- Breakout Watch — Darien Porter Porter’s length and athleticism are rare. Better route recognition and tackling could establish him as a full-time outside corner.
- Bust Watch — Nakobe Dean Dean can be a dynamic three-down linebacker when healthy, but injuries have repeatedly interrupted his availability. If he cannot stay on the field or anchor the coverage responsibilities expected of him, the middle of the Raiders’ rebuilt defense could remain unstable.
- Team Superstar — Maxx Crosby Crosby remains the defense’s relentless centerpiece and most reliable source of pressure. The Raiders’ offseason additions should make it harder for opponents to devote every protection answer to him; his ability to turn that support into game-changing production will drive the unit.
Prediction
The Raiders improve in year 1 of the Kubiak rebuild by going 5-12. While they finish in last place in the AFC West, they are setup to compete for a playoff spot in 2027.
Below is the complete 2026 regular season projections.
Sources
- NFL: Final 2025 division standings
- Las Vegas Raiders: 2025 team statistics
- Las Vegas Raiders: 2025 season statistical leaders
- Las Vegas Raiders: Week 18 win over Kansas City
- Las Vegas Raiders: Klint Kubiak’s 2026 coaching staff
- Las Vegas Raiders: 2026 transactions
- Las Vegas Raiders: Initial 2026 53-man roster construction
- Las Vegas Raiders: 2026 draft class
- Las Vegas Raiders: John Spytek profile
- Las Vegas Raiders: Mark Davis profile
