The Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive rebuild is drawing buzz, but a new coordinator and rookie QB don’t fix deeper issues. Is the optimism maybe premature?
The optimism surrounding the Raiders’ offensive outlook is understandable. New head coach Klint Kubiak, a No. 1 overall pick at quarterback and a marquee free-agent signing at center, represents genuine progress. But the framing that Chip Kelly alone sank the Raiders’ offense, and that swapping him out essentially solves the problem, lets the organization off the hook far too easily.
Yes, Kelly’s tenure was a failure. But reducing it to a lack of creativity misreads what actually went wrong. Let’s be clear, no one’s calling Kelly a genius or saying he’s not deserving of the fate he received. In fact, according to Robert Mays of The Athletic, an anonymous NFL coach explained to him that “they [the Raiders and Kelly] ran every cool play a team would run over the past two weeks and it had absolutely no cohesion.” In other words, there was zero creativity from Kelly and the offense was just trying to play an imitation game.
Both Chip Kelly and the Raiders didn’t stand a chance…
Still, the Raiders handed Kelly a quarterback room that would have tested any playcaller. Geno Smith and Aidan O’Connell are functional backup-level players, not starters on a competitive NFL roster. Blaming Kelly for offensive listlessness without accounting for the personnel deficiencies beneath him is intellectually convenient, not analytically honest.
The broader organizational indictment also deserves scrutiny. The Raiders have cycled through offensive coordinators with alarming regularity, operating under a front office and ownership structure that has made coherent long-term building nearly impossible. Coordinator instability does not occur in a vacuum. If the system keeps producing bad outcomes, the system itself warrants examination, not just the most recent casualty.
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As for Kubiak, the enthusiasm should be tempered. He called plays for a Seattle offense that ranked in the bottom third of the league in yards during the regular season. The Seahawks’ Super Bowl run, while impressive, was built on a dominant defense and timely postseason performances. Projecting him as a transformative offensive mind based on that sample is premature at best.
There’s hope for Raider Nation…
Fernando Mendoza is an intriguing prospect, but no rookie quarterback, regardless of draft position, arrives ready to carry an offense in Year 1. The Raiders are betting heavily on developmental upside at the most unforgiving position in professional sports.
Tyler Linderbaum is a legitimate building block. The offensive line, however, remains a work in progress beyond that signing, and skill position depth is still thin.
The Raiders may well improve offensively in 2026. The floor is low enough that some progress is almost inevitable. But the suggestion that this roster is poised for dramatic ascent glosses over real structural vulnerabilities. Optimism is fine. Earned optimism requires more than a coordinator change and a high draft pick.
*Top Photo: Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal