Kubiak arrives after playing a major role in the Seattle Seahawks’ run to Super Bowl LX and now oversees a rebuilding project in Las Vegas. With the hire official, the Raiders’ next focus is assembling a staff, ahead of free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport provided insight into potential additions from Seattle’s staff, noting Andrew Janocko—Seattle’s quarterbacks coach and a close ally of Kubiak—could be in the mix as the Raiders’ offensive coordinator. He also pointed to Jake Peetz, Seattle’s passing game coordinator, as another strong candidate for OC duties either in Las Vegas or Seattle.
Rapoport stressed that more Seattle ties could surface as Kubiak pieces together his coaching staff, with the coaching-search process aligned with the upcoming free agency period and draft.
Beyond the staff, Las Vegas reportedly has its eyes on a quarterback option in the 2026 cycle, including Fernando Mendoza, a former Indiana Hoosiers signal-caller. During Super Bowl week, Kirk Cousins indicated Mendoza resembles his own game in style and cerebral approach, saying, “I can see it; I can see the look. I can see the style play.”
Cousins also offered Mendoza veteran guidance, telling Yahoo Sports that he’d share a line he once heard from Mike Shanahan: “Tough times don’t last; tough people do.” He emphasized Mendoza’s resilience as he embarks on his NFL journey, noting Mendoza appears to be a resilient prospect with potential for a successful career.
Overall, the official hiring of Klint Kubiak sets the stage for a staff-building phase in Las Vegas, with a focus on developing an offensive system and evaluating quarterback options ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
