Hope is everything for a rebuilding NFL team, and the Las Vegas Raiders have been woefully short on that in recent years. But the influx of youth in every corner of the organization has the Silver and Black finally trending toward a revival, which is long overdue for one of the league's most iconic franchises.
Last year, Pete Carroll and John Spytek were clearly operating on different planes. The former tried to squeeze every iota of success out of a roster that clearly wasn't built to win, whereas the latter was attempting to lay the foundation for a rebuild. It's no wonder Spytek outlasted Carroll in Las Vegas.
Now Spytek is paired with Klint Kubiak, and the two are cutting no corners in this Raiders revamp. It all starts with a mutual understanding that the future is the future, and doesn't necessarily have to come right away. And that is evident in the roster, coaching staff and front office structure in Las Vegas.
Youth is everywhere (and everything) in the Raiders' building
Starting at the top, Spytek just turned 46 years old in August. When the head of the football operation is so young and feels like he has a runway, patience can be had in the building. And it behooves both Spytek and the organization to have other young, like-minded people working alongside him.
That's why it was paramount to land a 39-year-old Kubiak as the leader of this turnaround. Instead of him clinging to the past or being in a hurry to field a competitive team, the first-year head coach is focusing on development and establishing a culture. He knows he has time to build this thing.
And that, of course, bleeds into how the team was built. Instead of paying aging veterans to do the job this year or for a few seasons and then letting them ride off into the sunset, the Raiders' brass made it a point this offseason to acquire young talent through free agency and the NFL Draft.
The result of that is an incredibly young roster, as the initial 53-man team has an average age of just a hair over 26 years old. Check out the table below from our wacky roster breakdown piece, and see for yourself just how young this roster really is.
The Raiders' 53-man roster, broken down by age and years of experience at each position.⬇️
— Levi Dombro (@LeviDombro) September 1, 2026
This is a young team in Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/nRrgfZfPiE
It should also be noted that a handful of the players pulling the average age up, like quarterback Kirk Cousins, kicker Matt Gay and tight end Ian Thomas, are not expected to be under contract next year. The Raiders will likely shed the weight of three of their oldest players and be even younger in 2027.
Somehow, Las Vegas has threaded the needle and has a young roster that can grow, but also an experienced enough team that they can legitimately compete this season. Not for a Super Bowl or anything, but they can be in every ballgame and double their win total from a year ago, easily.
If they do, then the Raiders are ahead of schedule. If they don't, there is no reason to worry because this is a young team, staff and front office. The Silver and Black have set themselves up to come out of the year not feeling completely devastated about their future prospects for the first time in a while.
Raiders' Klint Kubiak, Brandon Yeargan on The Athletic's 50 under 40 list
The Athletic recently released a list of 50 NFL coaches, executives and strategists who are "changing the league." These people were nominated by coworkers in their building, competitors, or high-profile sources around the NFL. This ranges from head coaches and GMs to football analytics people.
Kubiak landed on this list, as did Raiders director of college scouting Brandon Yeargan. As the Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator from a year ago, Kubiak was practically a shoo-in on this list, but Yeargan getting some much-deserved praise is another reason for fans to be excited.
"Yeargan joined the Raiders a half-decade ago after spending the previous nine years with the Patriots. Forward-thinking and respected by his peers, Yeargan will be asked to help evolve the Raiders’ team-building and scouting infrastructure with the support of GM John Spytek. 'Brandon is a key part of our personnel staff and his preparation, professionalism and passion for the scouting process is impressive,' Spytek said. 'B.Y. is a trusted voice in the building and an outstanding teammate and leader.'"
This is yet another reminder of the youth movement in Las Vegas making a real difference. The players, staff and front office are all young, so this Raiders building can grow together and toward something very special.
Give them time. They will get there and bring us with.
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