The Raiders' Offense Will Rise or Fall on One Player's Shoulders

The Las Vegas Raiders' offensive success may depend on one player.

Feb 10, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders coach Klint Kubiak speaks at introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders are projected to be one of the most improved offenses in the NFL next season. That isn't a particularly high bar to clear, but it does give hope to Raider Nation that their team will be more enjoyable to watch on Sundays.

Whether this offensive evolution will result in more wins is yet to be seen, but the Raiders have put their best foot forward to improve on that side of the ball. Klint Kubiak has improved offenses wherever he's ended up, and he's been given full rein to steer this team in whichever direction he likes. Which player will be the most integral to that success?

Offensive Evolution

Feb 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza (QB11) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

There's a strong argument to be made that the player who's tasked with carrying the Raiders offense on his shoulders in 2026 is Fernando Mendoza. The projected first overall pick, their offense and consistency will be determined by how effective he is as a rookie.

Kubiak can get him as many weapons as he'd like and do a complete offensive line overhaul, but it will come down to whether he can step up and make big throws in crunch time. However, he will be a rookie, so there will be some level of grace in how he performs. As long as he shows improvement from week to week, the Raiders should feel confident about him as their franchise guy moving forward.

Jan 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) carries the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

I'd argue that there's more pressure on Ashton Jeanty to be the backbone of their offense in 2026. He had Offensive Rookie of the Year expectations in 2025 and didn't come near that benchmark. He was playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, but Kubiak made sure to make that a priority in free agency.

He's also stated that he wants to get Jeanty a running mate so not all of the responsibility falls on him, but he's meant to be their consistent work-horse running back. If Mendoza struggles out of the gate, the obvious solution is to help him out by running the ball.

Nov 30, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) rushes the ball against the Los Angeles Chargers during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Jeanty will control the pace of the offense, and if he continues to struggle in 2026, then the offense will suffer as a result. I personally think he's shown that he can make the most of a poor situation, so there's bound to be some progression with better pieces around him.

And yet, he's still the player with the most pressure to perform next season.