Raiders at training camp (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)
Every decision the Raiders made this offseason revolved around Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner and national champion out of Indiana whom Las Vegas selected with the No. 1 overall pick. That included firing Pete Carroll after a single season and replacing him with Klint Kubiak, who arrives fresh off a Super Bowl title as Seattle’s offensive coordinator.
Under minority owner Tom Brady and general manager John Spytek, the Raiders then spent more money than any team in the league in free agency, headlined by center Tyler Linderbaum’s record-setting contract, to build the kind of infrastructure they believe Mendoza needs to succeed. Training camp runs from July 29 to Aug. 29 at the Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, Nevada.
How soon will Mendoza start?
The Raiders have made clear they aren’t in a rush. Kirk Cousins, brought in specifically to mentor Mendoza and serve as a bridge starter, took the bulk of first-team reps through OTAs and minicamp and was named the starter to open training camp, with Mendoza splitting second- and third-team snaps with Aidan O’Connell. The expectation is that Cousins opens the season under center; if Las Vegas struggles five or six games in, or Cousins doesn’t perform, the door opens for Mendoza.
The coaching staff has been impressed by Mendoza’s growth already, particularly his improving command of the offense and comfort working under center, but they’ve been clear he won’t play until he’s ready. Whether the Raiders keep three quarterbacks on the roster, and what that means for O’Connell’s future in Las Vegas, remains one of the more interesting subplots of camp.
Fixing an offensive line that sank everything in 2025
Las Vegas averaged just 14.2 points per game a year ago, a collapse the front office traces directly to an offensive line that couldn’t protect the quarterback or open running lanes. Linderbaum is the new anchor at center, and left tackle Kolton Miller returns after a season-ending ankle injury limited him to four games last year. Everything else is a competition, with Jackson Powers-Johnson, Caleb Rogers, DJ Glaze, Charles Grant, Spencer Burford and rookie Trey Zuhn III battling for the two guard spots and the right tackle job opposite Miller.
If the line holds up, both running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers have the talent for genuine breakout seasons; Jeanty finished just 25 yards shy of 1,000 as a rookie despite the line’s struggles, and new receiver Jalen Nailor, added after four years playing alongside Justin Jefferson in Minnesota, gives the passing game another weapon in a thin receiver room.
Maxx Crosby’s four-day trade that wasn’t
In one of the offseason’s stranger sagas, Crosby requested a trade rather than sit through another rebuild, and the Raiders sent him to Baltimore for two first-round picks, only for the Ravens to back out over concerns about his surgically repaired knee and return him to Las Vegas days later. He’s since said the rehab has gone better than any injury recovery of his career and was cleared for unrestricted first-team reps to open camp. The four days he was gone weren’t wasted, though: the Raiders used the window to add linebackers Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean, edge rusher Kwity Paye and cornerback Taron Johnson, all upgrades that reshaped the roster Crosby returned to.
Longtime defensive line coach Rob Leonard was promoted to defensive coordinator and inherits a defense making the switch to a base 3-4, with the interior defensive line, originally built for a 4-3 front, needing someone to step up at nose tackle. Rookie cornerback Jermod McCoy, a top-15 talent who slid to the fourth round over knee concerns, has looked like a potential steal early in camp when healthy, working into the rotation alongside veteran Eric Stokes and fifth-round rookie Hezekiah Masses.
Full 2026 Las Vegas Raiders scheduleWeekDateOpponentTime (ET)TV1Sept. 13vs. Miami Dolphins4:25 p.m.FOX2Sept. 20at Los Angeles Chargers4:05 p.m.CBS3Sept. 27at New Orleans Saints4:25 p.m.CBS4Oct. 4vs. Kansas City Chiefs4:25 p.m.CBS5Oct. 11at New England Patriots1 p.m.CBS6Oct. 18vs. Buffalo Bills4:25 p.m.CBS7Oct. 25vs. Los Angeles Rams4:25 p.m.FOX8Nov. 1at New York Jets1 p.m.FOX9Nov. 8at San Francisco 49ers4:05 p.m.CBS10Nov. 15vs. Seattle Seahawks4:05 p.m.CBS11Nov. 22at Denver Broncos4:25 p.m.CBS12Nov. 29at Cleveland Browns1 p.m.FOX13—BYE——14Dec. 13vs. Los Angeles Chargers4:05 p.m.CBS15Dec. 20vs. Denver Broncos4:25 p.m.CBS16Dec. 27vs. Tennessee Titans4:05 p.m.FOX17Jan. 3at Arizona Cardinals4:05 p.m.CBS18TBDat Kansas City ChiefsTBDTBD
Las Vegas’ preseason opens at home against Arizona on Aug. 13, followed by a road trip to Houston and a home game against San Francisco.
Raiders odds and best bets for 2026
At BetRivers, Las Vegas is priced at +15000 to win the Super Bowl. The playoff market reflects the rebuild, with the Raiders priced at +550 to make the postseason against -835 to miss it. Las Vegas’ regular-season win total sits at 5.5, with the Over priced at -148 and the Under at +120.
BetRivers also offers a combo prop pairing the team’s two most talented offensive playmakers: Ashton Jeanty topping 1,000 rushing yards and Brock Bowers topping 1,000 receiving yards is priced at +325.
Check RG.org’s NFL sportsbooks hub throughout the season for updated lines and matchup previews.
Final outlook
Las Vegas isn’t hiding the ball on what 2026 is about: building the right foundation around Fernando Mendoza rather than chasing wins the roster isn’t ready to sustain. The offensive line overhaul, the defensive infusion of veterans around Maxx Crosby and the decision to bring in Cousins as a bridge starter all point to a franchise trying to avoid the rushed, shortcut-laden rebuilds that defined its recent history. Jeanty and Bowers give this team real offensive talent to build around, and if the line holds up and Mendoza is ready to take over at some point this season, Las Vegas could be further along than its long-shot odds suggest, even if a return to contention realistically points toward 2027.