Raiders' New Era Signals No 2026 Last-Place Finish

The Raiders’ new era is about to begin. For the past two seasons, Las Vegas has had painful last-place finishes. The 2026 season, though, marks a new chapter for the franchise with a new head coach, a retooled quarterback room with more offensive support, and an improved defense led by a recently promoted defensive coordinator. The Raiders may not be ready to contend in a division with teams like the Broncos and the Chiefs, but one thing is for sure: they can’t be last this season.

Raiders New Era Starts At Quarterback

Drafting Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza was the first step. His breakout 2025 season with Indiana University featured a 72% completion rate, 41 touchdowns, and ended with a National Championship. It’s easy to see why the Raiders feel he is their cornerstone quarterback of the future.

New head coach Klint Kubiak will not name Mendoza the starter, though. Despite the quarterback’s immense talent, not throwing him into the fire immediately is probably the smartest move. Though Kubiak has proven he can design and execute plays at the highest level (evidenced by his 2026 Super Bowl win with the Seattle Seahawks), the learning curve for rookie quarterbacks is a steep one.

Kirk Cousins also joins the Raiders this season after serving as the backup quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons in 2025, where he threw for 1,721 yards and 10 touchdowns in 10 starts. With 15 years of NFL service, including six seasons as a team captain of the Minnesota Vikings, Cousins brings a wealth of experience and knowledge he can share as a mentor to Mendoza.

Built To Protect And Explode On Offense

In order to protect their quarterbacks, both young and aging, the Raiders needed to shore up an offensive line that allowed 64 sacks last year. Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum came over from the Baltimore Ravens on a three-year deal, after a season where he only allowed two sacks.

Las Vegas also brought in Jalen “Speedy” Nailor, who has reached speeds upwards of 20 miles per hour during game action. This kind of explosiveness gives the Raiders a legitimate deep-threat option, complementing Mendoza’s ability to throw the ball 60 yards downfield.