Good luck to new Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak. He’ll need it to turn around the downtrodden franchise.
After helping the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots, 29-13, in Super Bowl LX on Sunday, the former offensive coordinator confirmed he’s heading to Vegas, where he’ll have his work cut out for him. Last season, Vegas went 3-14 under head coach Pete Carroll, whom it fired in January.
With that in mind, here are five things Kubiak must do to succeed in Vegas:
Trade DE Maxx Crosby
Fox Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer has said he believes the Raiders and Crosby are heading for a divorce this offseason. Instead of trying to convince the DE to return to Vegas next season, Kubiak and company should trade him. Sending him elsewhere would give the Raiders more picks in the NFL Draft, which they could use to rebuild their roster.
A package that involves Crosby would be similar to the compensation the Dallas Cowboys received in the Micah Parsons trade. Dallas acquired two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark when it dealt the DE to the Green Bay Packers before the start of the 2025 season.
Crosby underwent knee surgery after the season, but that won’t prevent teams from offering multiple draft picks for the star pass-rusher. The DE earned his fifth Pro Bowl nod in 2025 after ranking second in the league in tackles for loss (28) behind Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett (33).
Find and develop a franchise QB
The Raiders signed QB Geno Smith to a two-year, $75M deal after acquiring him in a trade with the Seahawks in March 2025. However, he’s clearly not the answer after throwing a league-leading 17 interceptions in 15 regular-season starts this past season.
The Raiders are expected to select Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, a smart choice. The Heisman-winning QB led the Hoosiers to their first national championship and led the FBS in touchdown passes (41) in 2025.
“Mendoza is the reset the Raiders desperately need,” wrote The Ringer’s Todd McShay in his new mock draft published Monday. “He’s not as physically gifted as high draft picks such as Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, or even Cam Ward. But it’s not like he’s lacking for physical tools. He’s 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, is mobile and has a live arm.”
Maximize RB Ashton Jeanty
Jeanty (pick No. 6 of the 2025 draft) averaged a subpar 3.7 yards per carry (975 yards in 17 games) during his rookie season. The Raiders expected way more from the RB, who ran for the second-most yards (2,601 in 14 games) in a season in FBS history during his final season with the Boise State Broncos.
Luckily for the Raiders, Kubiak is a RB guru. Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III won Super Bowl LX MVP after running for 135 yards on 27 carries against New England. During the regular season, he rushed for 1,027 yards, the second most in his four-year career. That has Jeanty eager to work with the coach.
“I think it’s a great hire, and I’m super excited,” Jeanty said of Kubiak in an interview with CBS Sports before Super Bowl LX.
Fix the O-line
Kubiak is an offensive wizard, but his scheme will be ineffective if he doesn’t address the O-line’s problems. The unit allowed the most sacks (64) in the league last season.
The Raiders couldn’t run block, either. Per Pro Football Reference, Vegas ranked last in the NFL in yards before contact (601). YBC measures how many yards a runner gains before a defender touches him.
Targeting a top offensive tackle in free agency would be wise for Vegas, perhaps Braden Smith (Indianapolis Colts). Per Sports Info Solutions, the O-lineman blew just 3.8 percent of his 718 blocks in 2025, considered solid.
Lean on minority owner Tom Brady
It remains unclear how much influence former New England Patriots/Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Brady has on the Raiders. Regardless, Kubiak should pick his brain regularly.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion has a wealth of football knowledge. More importantly, he’s already a fan of the new Raiders coach. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Brady and Kubiak immediately developed a rapport in their initial interview because both are “all ball.”
