New head coach Klint Kubiak and second-year general manager John Spytek are done with quick fixes. The Las Vegas Raiders are committing to a full rebuild and building for long-term wins.
The Raiders enter the offseason with a familiar problem and an unusually clear starting point. Unlike other teams at the bottom of the standings still debating their path at quarterback, Las Vegas is widely expected to use the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The Heisman Trophy winner is viewed as a potential stabilizer. That’s great news for a franchise that has cycled through answers at the position for years.
That clarity does not equal simplicity…
The Raiders are coming off a 3-14 season that exposed a roster still short on difference-makers, and the organization moved on from head coach Pete Carroll after one year—a swift reset that underscored how far Las Vegas remains from contention.
The performance data matched the record. Pro Football Focus graded the Raiders’ defense at a league-worst 49.2, while the offensive line ranked bottom five in both pass-blocking and run-blocking grades, according to the same evaluation.
Those numbers are not trivia. They are the infrastructure problem that will define the first phase of the rebuild, regardless of who plays quarterback. A rookie can raise a team’s ceiling, but a talent gap in the trenches lowers the floor every Sunday.
If Las Vegas wants Mendoza to become more than a short-term storyline, it must build an environment that protects him. That includes keeping games manageable and creating margins when the quarterback inevitably hits rough patches.
That is Kubiak’s job…
He used to be the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator, but now he has to change the direction of the Raiders. Kubiak comes in with the advantage of a recent championship run and a reputation for getting good play out of an offensive line that wasn’t thought to be very good on paper.
What matters is not whether that method looked clean in Seattle. It’s about whether it can move and whether it can live through a roster that still needs basic parts.
The Mendoza plan will dominate headlines, that’s a given. However, the real audit will happen elsewhere: third-and-medium protection, run efficiency on early downs, and a defense that stops giving away hidden yards. Carroll was hired to accelerate a turnaround and reset a culture that has produced five playoff appearances since 2000, with the last in 2021. That vision never materialized.
The Raiders are in it for the long haul now…
The Raiders’ commitment to a long-term rebuild necessitates a timeline that matches the invested effort. The quarterback can offer guidance. Still, the effectiveness of the roster, particularly in terms of offensive line play and defensive performance, will ultimately determine if that guidance translates into tangible progress.
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