Scott Gulbransen
Look, I love the energy right now. I genuinely do. After years of false starts, front office chaos, and one of the most miserable 3-14 seasons in recent memory, the Las Vegas Raiders have come out of the gates in 2026 swinging — and swinging hard. For the first time in a long time, it actually feels like there are professionals in the room with a real plan.
GM John Spytek has been busy. Three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum is now anchoring the offensive line after four dominant seasons in Baltimore, where he blocked for a rushing offense that finished top-two in the NFL four straight years. That’s a massive get for a line that ranked 22nd in both run and pass blocking win rate a year ago — the same line that allowed Geno Smith to get sacked 55 times and turned what should’ve been a functional offense into a dumpster fire. Protecting your franchise quarterback before he even takes his first NFL snap? That’s how you do it.
On defense, they added former Packers linebacker Quay Walker. Walker is a player who recorded at least 100 tackles in each of his first four NFL seasons. Put him alongside Super Bowl champion Nakobe Dean, edge rusher Kwity Paye, and re-signed Eric Stokes and Malcolm Koonce and perhaps a recommitted Maxx Crosby. Head coach Klint Kubiak also got a familiar weapon in wide receiver Dareke Young, who won a ring with him in Seattle. Receiver Jalen Nailor comes over with real upside, and fullback Connor Heyward gives Kubiak a chess piece he loves to use in his system. This isn’t just throwing money at problems — there’s connective tissue here. Guys who know each other, know the coaching staff, and know how to win.
This is real, meaningful roster construction. Credit where it’s due.
Fernando Mendoza Mania Already Captivates Raider Nation
And yes, Fernando Mendoza is almost certainly walking across that stage in Pittsburgh on April 23rd with a Raiders hat on. A Heisman Trophy winner who led Indiana to a 16-0 national championship, threw 41 touchdowns against just 6 interceptions, and completed 72% of his passes. The kid is the real deal, and the ceiling is legitimately sky high. Tom Brady is in the building. Klint Kubiak runs one of the more quarterback-friendly systems in the NFL. The pieces are being put in place around him. If you’re a Raiders fan, you have every reason to be excited about what this franchise could look like in two or three years.
But Raider Nation, I need you to hear me on this right now: pump the brakes.
This team won three games last season. Three. Geno Smith led the entire NFL in interceptions and got sacked more than any quarterback in football. That is your starting point. That is the hole you’re climbing out of. Free agency signings and good vibes don’t erase that overnight, no matter how clean the press conference looked.
And here’s the thing nobody wants to say out loud — Mendoza may not even start Week 1. The Raiders’ own GM said he’s “not necessarily in favor of running a rookie quarterback out there” right away. They traded Geno Smith but are reportedly eyeing a veteran bridge option. There’s a full draft still to navigate. There are still massive unknowns on this roster — at receiver, at tackle, at safety. The draft, free agent attrition and injuries. All of it is still in play.
Realistic Expectations for the 2026 Raiders
Look at the teams that did this right. The Bengals with Burrow. The Ravens with Lamar. Neither of those franchises made the playoffs in Year 1 of their rebuild. Hell, Lamar Jackson went 6-10 his rookie year with a Ravens team that was far more built out than this one. If the Raiders go six or seven wins in 2026 with a rookie quarterback finding his footing — or even a veteran bridging the gap while Mendoza develops — that is a success story. That is the foundation of something real.
Be excited about where this is going, because the direction is genuinely encouraging. But don’t crown anybody, don’t pencil in Wild Card weekends, and don’t call it a failure when December rolls around and they’re sitting at 6-8. The rebuild is real. The vision is real. Now comes the hard part — letting it actually play out.
