Klint Kubiak will reportedly be the one tasked with turning the Las Vegas Raiders around.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport provided the latest info on the team’s head coaching search:
Although Las Vegas must wait until after the Super Bowl to officially agree to a deal, all signs point to Kubiak eventually taking the role.
This is the second consecutive offseason and third time since after the 2021 season that the Raiders have gone through a full coaching search. They also promoted Antonio Pierce from interim head coach to the full-time job in January 2024 rather than go through a full search.
Pete Carroll’s stint with the Raiders was a disaster of epic proportions. He led the team to a 3-14 record and fired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly midway through the season.
In addition to the brutal on-field performance, the Raiders also seemed to alienate their best player by shutting down Maxx Crosby early due to a knee injury.
The Raiders are coming off consecutive seasons with double-digit losses for the first time since 2017-18. They have only made the playoffs twice since losing Super Bowl 37 in January 2003.
All of this shows how difficult the task of turning things around in Las Vegas could be, but there are reasons to be optimistic about the future.
Kubiak will have the luxury of building around the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft, assuming the Raiders stay put. They could also add more draft capital if they decide to move Crosby, but he’s also someone they can keep building with since he won’t turn 29 until Aug. 22 and is under contract through 2029.
Brock Bowers is also a foundation piece for the roster as long as he can stay healthy. Injuries limited him to just 12 games in 2025 after he set NFL records for receptions by a rookie (112) and receiving yards by a rookie tight end (1,194).
Playing in the same division as the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers only makes things that much harder for the Raiders, but this offseason is an opportunity for a fresh start where they can add multiple players who could become part of the next great era for the franchise.
The Raiders tried to prioritize offense for their head coaching job last season when they pursued Ben Johnson before he went to the Chicago Bears.
Kubiak has an extensive offensive background, including three years as an offensive coordinator with three different teams. He was also a passing game coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers in 2023 when they advanced to the Super Bowl.
In his first season as offensive coordinator with Seattle in 2025, Kubiak led the team to the third-most points in the NFL, helped them reach the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba is an Offensive Player of the Year candidate in the system.
The Raiders don’t have a clear answer at quarterback right now, but they seem likely to address that this offseason either in free agency or with the No. 1 pick in the draft, with Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza being the most likely option.
Adding a strong offensive voice like Kubiak is a good way to believe the Raiders will improve on that side of the ball.
There’s no doubt this is a multi-year rebuild process in Las Vegas, but Kubiak has the cache to make things better right away while the organization fills out the talent on the roster to really challenge the rest of the AFC West for supremacy.