The Las Vegas Raiders are one of two teams, along with the Arizona Cardinals, that remain without a head coach after Wednesday's news that the Cleveland Browns hired Todd Monken to fill their vacancy. The franchise has done its due diligence, interviewing 15 coaches throughout the process.
It appears that the Raiders are narrowing in on two coaches: Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and Denver Broncos assistant Davis Webb. While the coaching search is in its fourth week, it doesn't appear that Las Vegas is in any rush to make an announcement.
Of course, if Kubiak is the man for the job, they can't announce the deal until after the Super Bowl, which would be on February 9, at the earliest. Ian Rapoport recently shared an update that fans who may be losing patience will not want to hear.
Ian Rapoport's latest update will test the patience of Raiders fans
The Raiders' decision regarding their next head coach is a pivotal one, as the franchise's next leader will ultimately be responsible for developing projected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza. It should be no surprise that the team has not rushed to hire a coach, as their top targets remain available.
Rapoport's recent update suggests that the waiting game will continue.
"They have done a lot of legwork, but it doesn't seem like they're competing with anyone right now, so they can take a breath, take their time, and make sure it's right," Rapoport said.
With nearly every other coaching vacancy filled, Las Vegas is in a prime position to continue doing its due diligence on the remaining candidates. It may not be what fans want to hear, but a timeline is beginning to take shape.
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Essentially Sports' Tony Pauline also shared that the Raiders will hold another meeting with Kubiak.
"On Tuesday, I was told Kubiak has interviews set up later this week with the... Las Vegas Raiders... The Raiders?" Pauline wrote. "I’m told any candidate, including Kubiak, must be comfortable with minority owner and future Hall of Famer Tom Brady looking over their shoulder and potentially second-guessing decisions."
Brady seemed to be quite fond of Kubiak while calling the NFC Championship Game; however, it is unclear if the Seahawks' offensive coordinator would accept the job if offered. While Seattle has reportedly made an aggressive push to keep him on the staff in 2026, he will meet with the Raiders on Saturday, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the California Post.
"I'm hearing Klint Kubiak's second interview with the @Raiders is scheduled for Saturday," Bonsignore reported.
The interview being scheduled for Saturday indicates that Raiders fans won't have as much as an update until then, at the earliest. Kubiak certainly appears to be the frontrunner for the job, considering that Webb has not been offered the role.
At the very least, Las Vegas' brass wants to meet with Kubiak one more time before making a final decision. Of course, if he is offered the role and accepts, the process will drag out past the Super Bowl, as the Seahawks are still alive and he can't be officially announced as the next head coach.
If Kubiak turns down the role, or the Raiders opt to offer Webb the gig instead, fans could expect a resolution as soon as this weekend. But it sounds like Kubiak is the No. 1 option, and Webb is now the backup plan in Las Vegas.