The NFL coaching carousel has seemingly come to an end for 2026, and barring something unforeseen, Klint Kubiak will become the next head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders once his run as the Seattle Seahawks' offensive coordinator finishes with Super Bowl LX.
Based purely on being the opposite of Pete Carroll, a young coach with an offensive background, Raiders fans are easily excited about Kubiak. Pair that with the presumptive No. 1 overall pick being Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, and the level of optimism amongst Raider Nation right now is sky high.
Kubiak's offense is very quarterback-friendly, as Ted Nguyen of The Athletic wrote regarding former Raiders signal-caller Derek Carr when Kubiak was the New Orleans Saints' offensive coordinator in 2024. The results Sam Darnold has had with the Seahawks this year only reinforce that idea.
Chase Daniel hypes up Raiders fans about Klint Kubiak-Fernando Mendoza pairing
After reports surfaced that the Raiders have all but officially hired Kubiak as their next head man, former NFL quarterback and current analyst Chase Daniel dropped a short video on social media in which he dissected the pairing of Kubiak and Mendoza.
"I love this so much. I love the fit between Fernando Mendoza and Klint Kubiak. I've been all-in on this Fernando Mendoza film," Daniel said. "Think about Klint Kubiak's offense, what he's been able to do. ... Look at his offense now with Sam Darnold. ... Under center, play action, a lot of shifts and motions."
Obviously, the mere idea of a Mendoza-Kubiak pairing exciting a former NFL quarterback is bound to hype up Raider Nation. But Daniel jumped into further specifics about why Kubiak's system will benefit Mendoza, and why the young quarterback is such a great fit in it.
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"How does this fit with Fernando Mendoza? I love the fit so much. You look at how Fernando Mendoza plays: Quick, in the shotgun, a lot of RPOs (run pass options), everything like that. Then you look at Ashton Jeanty, and you look at Brock Bowers," Daniel said. ""Now, they have to go and solidify the offensive line. If they solidify the offensive line, I think they're gonna be good. Look, I know they play in the AFC West, I know it's not great. But the fit between Klint Kubiak, Tom Brady, Fernando Mendoza, all that, it's excellent. Raiders fans, you should be so happy."
Unless Kubiak does what Josh McDaniels did to the Indianapolis Colts years ago, he will be the Raiders' new leader. But it's not a done deal until pen hits paper, so skepticism and hesitation are understood and easy to have.
Mendoza is the presumed choice with the first overall pick, unless something drastic happens between now and late April to change that. But that isn't exactly set in stone, either, as months still separate this team from their first selection.
But with the presumptive marriage of a new head coach and a highly-drafted young quarterback comes great joy and optimism. Daniel is fully on board with the seemingly inevitable Kubiak-Mendoza pairing, and he has quickly gassed up the hype train for Raiders fans.