After going with defensive minds for the last two head coaches, the Las Vegas Raiders decided to go offense this time around by hiring former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. The team had the worst offense in the NFL last season, so it was clear they needed a lot of help on that side of the ball.
Plus, the Raiders own the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which will likely be used on a quarterback. What got Kubiak head coaching interest was his ability as an offensive playcaller.
However, sometimes coaches don’t want to still call plays after getting a head coaching job. While Kubiak believes in a collaborative process when it comes to playcalling, he’s still going to be the one calling plays.
“I do, but I hope you guys know that I’ve never called a game by myself,” Kubiak said when asked if he plans to call plays for the Raiders during his introductory press conference. “That’s something we do as a coaching staff together. We plan together, we communicate on gameday together. … So I plan to continue to collaborate with our coaches and making everybody a part of the game planning process. You know, whoever sends it in to the QB … I think anybody can do that. It’s how we communicate on gameday that will be very important.”
Kubiak Talks DC Search
With Kubiak confirming he’s calling offensive plays, his most important coaching staff hire will be the defensive coordinator. Kubiak is going to be heavily focused on offense, so he needs a coach who can own and command the defense.
The Raiders do have to interview a few candidates before they can make a decision. Kubiak gave some insight into what he’s looking for.
“I want to make sure that we have a DC that is a coaching effort first and technique, and it’s going to rip into somebody if they’re not finishing the practice,” Kubiak said.
Kubiak Not Ready to Talk Draft
A big draw for Kubiak to come to the Raiders had to be the fact that they have the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. That gives the team a chance to find a franchise quarterback that he can develop.
However, it’s hard to imagine he’s been grinding Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza’s tape as he has been preparing for the Super Bowl. He was asked about the top pick and Mendoza, but he’s not ready to get in the weeds on that yet.
“The resources that the Raiders have — this building, having cap space, having the first pick — those all go into the decision,” Kubiak said. “As far as who the first pick is gonna be, we have a lot of tape to watch to before we determine who that’s gonna be. I’m excited to get into that process.”
While Mendoza looks like the obvious choice at No. 1, it’s still possible that things come up that Kubiak doesn’t like when he starts looking at the quarterback’s tape. There’s still a long process that needs to play out before the Raiders can commit to anything.
Klint Kubiak Announces Playcalling Decision for Raiders