Raiders' Rebuild Is Bigger Than Just 2026 Season

The Raiders' Way

The Raiders are well on their way to turning things around. Arguably, the most significant piece of that turnaround arrived recently when the Raiders selected quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the top pick in the NFL Draft. Of all of their additions this offseason, Mendoza is the most vital.

Las Vegas plans on gradually bringing Mendoza along, refusing to rush him onto the field. He will have time early in his rookie season to learn in the background, as the new-look Raiders begin the process of meshing together under head coach Klint Kubiak. The Raiders have a plan and are sticking to it.

Mendoza and the rest of the Raiders' rookies recently took to the field for their rookie minicamp. It was the first time the rookies touched the field as professionals. The development process is a long and constant one for every rookie that comes into the league, even the No. 1 overall pick.

From the former legendary Raiders who roam the team's headquarters to the team's colors and logo, Mendoza and Las Vegas' rookies were quickly brought up to speed on how things are done in the desert. Mendoza is keenly aware of the challenges and expectations of his arrival.

“I think it's the realization that you have the Raider logo on your chest and you're playing NFL football, which is great, and it's a great privilege,” Mendoza said. 

“And with that comes a lot of responsibility, like Coach [Klint] Kubiak says of being a Raider in this off week, making sure you're working out every single day, having your decisions focused on becoming the best player you can be and best serve the team and best serve the organization.”

Raiders' Future

The Raiders enter the 2026 season with heightened, but realistic expectations. It is no secret that Las Vegas is in the beginning stages of a rebuild. The Raiders may not produce many wins in 2026, but they can still make progress overall in Kubiak's first season at the helm.

It is clear that Mendoza is the future of the organization. That was the whole reason he was drafted: to lead the Raiders for years to come. Las Vegas has struggled for most of the past decade, but they plan to use a roster overhaul, spearheaded by Mendoza, to turn things around.

"Like Mr. [Mark] Davis told me, the strength of the Raiders is in their alumni, and I think that's present when you see all these alumni out on the practice field or in the building,” Mendoza said after rookie minicamp.

“I think it's a very special thing about this cornerstone franchise, and it's them giving -- evidently, if they see something on tape, I'm sure that they'd tell any of the players, but it's more about the Raider standard and the commitment to excellence that they're going to push, because that's what they did when they were players. And I'm sure they want to see it now."

More and more changes will continue to come over the next few months and years for the Raiders.

However, if things go according to the detailed plan the Raiders' front office has, once Mendoza takes over for Cousins, Las Vegas hopes Mendoza is the last change they will have to make at quarterback for a while.