The Las Vegas Raiders have a lot of momentum heading into 2026, largely thanks to their strong quarterback options between veteran Kirk Cousins and rookie Fernando Mendoza. Going into the NFL Draft, the Raiders took center stage with their no-brainer selection of Mendoza, who was undefeated with the Indiana Hoosiers in 2025 and led them to their first national championship.
But, is it possible that getting Mendoza wasn’t the crowning move for the Raiders during the offseason? Even though it was obviously a great choice to snag Mendoza, there’s one move that takes the cake.
Fernando Mendoza is a great pick, but Klint Kubiak is better
The best move that the Raiders made this offseason was really hiring head coach Klint Kubiak. Kubiak, of course, is fresh off a riveting Super Bowl win with the Seattle Seahawks. Landing one of the offensive masterminds behind one of the hottest franchises in the league right now was a flat-out win.
Mike Sando of The Athletic agrees. Sando wrote that his favorite Raiders move this offseason was hiring Kubiak.
“Kubiak has everything to prove as a head coach, but his clear vision for the offense brings alignment where it was needed most, especially with the team using the draft’s first pick on a quarterback, Fernando Mendoza,” Sando wrote. “The head coach and both quarterbacks — Mendoza and Kirk Cousins, the veteran bridge — share the same low-key temperament as well.”
It’ll be exciting to see what Kubiak does with Mendoza and Cousins and how he shapes this offense. The Raiders are coming off a 3-14 season, so he certainly has his work cut out for him, but he appears to be up for the challenge.
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