The Las Vegas Raiders made a splash hire when they brought in Klint Kubiak to lead the franchise. He was one of, if not the most, coveted names in the coaching cycle, and the opportunity to lead No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza likely helped land the young leader.
Kubiak will be one of 10 new head coaches leading a team during the 2026 NFL season. He is also one of six head coaches who will have their first opportunity in a leading role this season, as four of the new hires have held the head coach position with another franchise before.
Of course, the Raiders are in a unique position after massively upgrading their roster this offseason, while also being in the first year of their first true rebuild in a while. A recent prediction suggested that Las Vegas will give its fans plenty to be excited about even in a worst-case scenario.
The Las Vegas Raiders are finally trending in the right direction
The Raiders had one of the worst seasons in franchise history in 2025, finishing 3-14 and earning the No. 1 pick for just the second time. While it felt like the team was a long way from true contention at that point, this offseason has made it clear that they're on the verge of quickly turning things around.
Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox predicted that Las Vegas will finish 7-10 in the first season of the Kubiak era, based on his "realistic expectations" for the team.
"After seeming to whiff at every turn in 2025, the Las Vegas Raiders have seemed to do everything right this offseason," Knox wrote. "Hiring former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak was a terrific move, not only because he brings Super Bowl experience, but also because he is one of the league's top young offensive minds... Regardless of which quarterback starts for most of the season, the Raiders will be markedly better in 2026. A brutal AFC West may prevent Las Vegas from pushing for the postseason, but the Raiders are poised to double their 2025 win total at a minimum."
Knox's prediction that the Raiders would, at a minimum, double their win total suggests that he believes that will be the worst-case scenario for the franchise in 2026. If that were the case, then Las Vegas would still be a big winner.
While finishing 7-10 would leave the franchise short of postseason contention, it would mark a major step in the right direction for an organization that has spent the better part of the past 23 years marred in misery and dysfunction.
It would also suggest that Las Vegas is much closer to contending than many thought at the onset of the offseason. Knox pointed to key moves such as the signings of Tyler Linderbaum, Kirk Cousins, Nakobe Dean, and Quay Walker as reasons to expect the improvement.
He acknowledged the possibility of Mendoza not starting for his entire rookie season, which could bode even better for the future. If Las Vegas can win seven games with Cousins starting the entire season, that will point to the rest of the roster being significantly improved from a year ago.
It would also allow the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner to get acclimated to the NFL without being rushed into action. While the fanbase may hope for a quicker turnaround, it would be encouraging to see the team more than double its win total, particularly without Mendoza even taking a snap.
The Raiders figure to have a difficult schedule as nine of their 17 games will be against playoff teams, with an additional two against the Kansas City Chiefs. If Kubiak can lead them to a 7-10 mark, not only would he prove that he was a great hire, but it would set Las Vegas up to legitimately contend soon.
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