Raiders Still Face Critical Decisions As Preseason Concludes

As Las Vegas prepares for its preseason finale against the San Francisco 49ers, it still has multiple positions to figure out. Most notably, Las Vegas continues to sort through what Kubiak claims is a competition at starting quarterback and a certain competition at guard.

The Raiders will likely turn to Kirk Cousins to start at quarterback this season. However, deciding who will start at offensive guard is undoubtedly the most significant depth chart-related question facing Las Vegas' coaching staff. Kubiak recently shared his thoughts on the competition.

“It continues. This game will be really important for that battle,” Kubiak said when asked about the positional battle at offensive guard.

“I know both those guys [Jackson Powers-Johnson and Caleb Rogers] are going to play this year. We're counting on both of them as well as a lot of other guys. So, this competition has only made them better and our team better."

Roster, Position Battles Abound

Along with positional battles at multiple starting positions, the Raiders have the preseason game itself, which will help make some of those decisions. Then, they also face cut-down day this weekend, as they will have to trim their roster from about 90 players to 53.

Las Vegas will fill out their practice squad as well, but will largely see a significant number of players leaving within the next week or so. Choosing which players to let go of when trimming the roster will be just as critical for the Raiders as the talented players they brought in and will continue to bring in.

The Raiders' coaching staff will face critical decisions across the board, as they look to narrow their roster down to the best players based on what they have seen over the past few months. Las Vegas has improved, but the next few days will play a major role in determining what it will be in 2026.

After leading the league in sacks allowed last season and finishing with the fewest rushing yards of any team in the league for the second time in three seasons, no position group will be more important for the Raiders to establish than their offensive line.

“Coach [Klint Kubiak] said it the other day. We're always competing. We're trying to find the best player at every position, and I don't think from the top on down, I think we're always evaluating to get the best player on the field. So, I don't think there's anybody that should get comfortable,” Raiders offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko said recently.

“Ourselves, as a coaching staff, we're constantly trying to get better ourselves, and we're evaluating ourselves all the time. And then we look around, and that's the same in every position. So, I think Klint [Kubiak] said it best: we don't want anybody to get comfortable."

Las Vegas has had a solid offseason, a productive training camp, and a set of preseason games that have given even more insight into the depths of the new-look roster. This has been the best summer the Raiders have had in many years, but that will only be confirmed by a strong regular season.

The Raiders do not need much. They are essentially in the first year of a rebuild that most would agree will take a few years. Las Vegas simply needs to show marked improvement from the 2025 season, which they have already begun to do.

As the Raiders look to move past a forgettable past few seasons, they must make the most of the next few days. The critical decisions that lie ahead will make or break the season.