4 Things To Watch for During Raiders’ 2026 Season

MACKINCAC ISLAND, MI.—The Las Vegas Raiders will open the 2026 NFL regular season in just eight days when they host the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium.

Before we dig into the X’s and O’s of the contest, we pause today to not look at the season through the microscope of the Dolphins contest, but to step back and investigate through the lens of a macro investigation and see what to look for in the season as a whole for the Las Vegas Raiders.

No. 1: Youth

From a first-time rookie coach in Klint Kubiak to a UDFA player, the Raiders are loaded with rookies and young players and coaches. That isn’t a bad thing when you remember that, when watching the 2026 season, this is a rebuild.

That doesn’t mean that the measure of grace extended to a young player matches that of a veteran; far from it. But commensurate with where they are in their career, you extend the latitude for failure and growth.

Fernando Mendoza | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Tre Tucker, in his rookie campaign, struggled with dropped balls. I said then it was a learning curve. He dealt with it and grew. He won’t get the grace for a dropped ball in 2026 that someone like Malik Benson will, nor should he.

With each youthful mistake, embrace it as a learning curve. Appreciate that the mistake is helping the player grow in a rebuilding year, rather than in a year when reaching the NFL Playoffs is the expectation.

No. 2: Strategy and Scheme

I will do nothing to give the Raiders an unfair disadvantage with real games coming up. What I can tell you is that you are going to see a lot from DC Rob Leonard on defense and Klint Kubiak on offense that you haven't seen yet.

The same goes for Joe DeCamillis on special teams. Watch the nuances of the game of football in 2026. Don’t watch the ball every play; watch the movement of the offensive linemen. Watch where defenders come from after the snap, and how and where they move afterward.

If you keep a keen eye in 2026, the strategy will begin to come alive for you in ways you heretofore haven’t seen.

No. 3: Special Teams Awareness

It is often said in football that if your fans know the name of the kicker, punter, or long snapper, they're either terrible or elite. No one knows that mediocre.

As big as Rick Dennison was for the offensive line, Joe DeCamillis was for the Raiders' special teams. DeCamillis has overhauled the Raiders. AJ Cole is without question the best punter in the entirety of the NFL. LS Alex Ward and K Matt Gay are both proven veterans who had terrific training camps.

DeCamillis has brought an attacking strategy to the Silver and Black. So many fans think kickoff or punt is a great time for a bathroom or snack break - not in 2026.

Watch the lane, watch the strategy; it is also a great opportunity to see early in their careers the young players who will be tomorrow’s stars.

AJ Cole,Alex Ward | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Great winning organizations have a diabolical commitment to being excellent on special teams. Credit a rookie coach like Kubiak for having it, and it is on display.

In my 27 years, I have never seen a team use more practice time on special teams than Kubiak’s Raiders. Trust me, Raider Nation: take a break during the commercials, but don’t miss special teams.

No. 4: A Real Commitment to Excellence

Las Vegas Raiders GM John Spytek, and minority owner Tom Brady | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Everyone knows the words of the great Al Davis, who instilled in the Silver and Black foundation of this franchise a commitment to excellence. Along the way, the organization has lost the clarity of that vision over the past 20+ years.

A commitment to excellence is not simply about making the playoffs or making short-term decisions without looking at long-term costs. GM John Spytek will not operate that way. Neither will Klint Kubiak.

John Spytek, Mark Davis | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

To hold the mantra of “Just Win, Baby,” without a true “Commitment to Excellence” is disingenuous.

Gone are the days of short-term joy with long-term consequences. The Raiders are not looking at “Just Win, Baby” and “Commitment to Excellence” as mutually exclusive.

The Raiders' new vision, masterfully laid out by Spytek and executed by Kubiak, is that this organization will win in the long term through a true commitment to excellence.

John Spytek | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Yes, the Raiders don’t have a true WR1. They will, but Spytek isn’t going to make a trade that hurts the organization in two years and offers only a glimpse of a win or two extra in 2026. The Raiders are on a real path, a tangible path towards “Just Winning,” because of their commitment to excellence.

What This Means

If you watch the 2026 Raiders through this prism, you will find real, tangible, substantive hope. Every youthful mistake and disciplined avoidance of overreaction or panic takes this franchise one step closer to what it used to be. Truly finding their new identity, but going back to their old identity.

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