Raiders Mailbag: Why This Team Is Giving Fans Real Hope

HENDERSON, Nev.—The Las Vegas Raiders ' 2026 season starts in earnest in just 25 days when veterans report, and in the seven seasons in which I have served as your beat writer, I have never seen the excitement at this level, predicated on real, tangible reasons for hope, and not simply on the bloviating of “Just Win, Baby.”

That isn’t a cheap shot at the organization or the iconic phrase. The Raiders made many moves based on the hope they would work, rather than the real–world, proven decision-making that now permeates the Raiders' ethos thanks to GM John Spytek. The Raiders are reinventing themselves by discarding the failure of the past 20+ years and reestablishing their old identity.

Raider Nation Responds

Earlier this week, I asked Raider Nation to share their biggest concerns about the 2026 Raiders. By far, the biggest question mark is WR1, but it wasn’t the only one. Today, I answer more of those questions thanks to all of you.

Starting Linebacker Issues?

Are we going to have our starting LB's on the field day one of training camp? How has Tommy Eichenberg looked this off season?
— David Armstrong (@LVRadus4life4) July 1, 2026

This is a question I get often, and I have no clue why. I guess that is not entirely accurate; I don’t understand why people assume it is an issue. Some in the media took players not being on the field for OTAs or minicamp as an issue, but I can tell you as an insider that not one media member in the know did.

Players were out for personal reasons; they are optional outside of the mandatory minicamp, and I repeatedly shot down all speculation, continually informing fans that “Those inside the organization have zero concerns at all.” Nothing has changed. This is not the collapse of 2025.

Barring any new injuries, the Raiders' linebacking core will be fully in place and ready for 2026, and they will be vastly improved. Thanks for the question.

The Tokyo Toe

Will the Tokyo Toe make the 53 man or will they try to hide him like Reggie did with King?
— Publius29 🇺🇲 🏴‍☠️ (@Publius29) July 1, 2026

Outside of Fernando Mendoza, Kansei Matsuzawa, AKA “The Tokyo Toe,” is the rookie I get asked about the most. He is an incredibly talented young man with a real chance to win the kicker role in Las Vegas, but having a clear shot doesn’t mean he has the best shot. Matt Gay is the presumptive favorite, and for the “Tokyo Toe” to win it, he needs to come out strong.

Hondo, Dexter, Ernest Wayne, and Shannon Carpenter | Hannah Ryan

On a personal note, in my family, Kansei already has a big fan. My precious son, Dexter Ernest Wayne Carpenter, age 3, saw his picture and, for the first time in his three years on earth, my Filipino adopted son told me, “He looks like Dexter.” My son now calls him “Adult Dexter.”

Will the Team Be Watchable in 2026?

Mine is is this team going to be watchable all season. I stopped watching after 4 games last season. The rest of the season I’d tune in for a quarter see them stink it up say “yep they suck” then turn the tv off.
— NalgonaNelly (@couplegoals469) July 1, 2026

I can tell you that I was there the entire season, and had I not been getting paid, I wouldn’t have watched. It was terrible, but with that said, we have to determine what is watchable. There will be mistakes aplenty, but no one has deceived you. This is a rebuild, but what you will see is a team that corrects mistakes and improves. By the end, you will clearly see that while the goal of being a Super Bowl-eligible team has not yet been reached, the team is closer than when the year ended. I am excited to watch it, and I am not a fan.

Will the Offensive Line Be Offensive?

1A. How will the O-Line hold up?

1B. Who will emerge as a reliable WR this year? Can Tucker be a legit option on a competitive team? What do we have in Bech/Thornton?
— ZUCCARELLSHOW (@LAkings23811) July 1, 2026

The addition of Rick Dennison as the new offensive line coach, the return of LT Kolton Miller, a top-five player at the most important spot on the OL, and the addition of the best interior offensive lineman and generational talent, Tyler Linderbaum, are three enormous reasons to be excited.

Let alone the addition of underrated Spencer Burford, the tutelage of last year’s underdeveloped rookies T Charles Grant and G Caleb Rogers under the aforementioned Dennison, and this year's already impressive rookie Trey Zuhn III are all reasons to be fired up for the 2026 edition of the Silver and Black offensive line. They won’t be offensive in terms of the smell of their poor play, but they will be physically offensive with the defense.

As to your second question about the wide receiver position, I addressed that at length yesterday, explaining that it is not time to panic on the WR room.

Watch Our Latest Podcast on This

Add us as a preferred source on Google