Why Raiders Are Projected to Be Spunky in Year 1 of New Era

The Las Vegas Raiders and their fans watched Super Bowl LX closely. Like 29 other teams, it's all they could do. But the Raiders had more invested in the championship bout than the other spectators who sent off the 2025 NFL season with a swansong.

Las Vegas cheered right along with the Seattle Seahawks after they hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy following a 29-13 beatdown of the New England Patriots. The 'Hawks may have won it all this year, but they'll be losing their offensive coordinator for next season's title defense. Klint Kubiak will take his newfound championship experience with him to Sin City to lead the Raiders into their next era.

Las Vegas Raiders, NFL, Head Coach Klint Kubiak — 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

What can the Raiders do in Klint Kubiak's first year at the helm?

The 2025 NFL season saw a tremendous deal of success from teams led by first-year head coaches. The New England Patriots may have fallen short against the Seattle Seahawks, but they got all the way to the Super Bowl in their first go with Mike Vrabel on the sideline. The playoffs were rife with competitors led by new head coaches.

Liam Coen and Ben Johnson brought the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Chicago Bears back to the postseason in their first year as NFL head coaches. The Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina Panthers, and eventual-champion Seahawks were all led by coaches in their second seasons with their respective teams.

Hard launch.

🔗https://t.co/1853dPrJgT #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/Xp1tb3k9On
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) February 11, 2026

The success that these teams and others found under new direction inspired a massive shakeup around the NFL, with 10 franchises hiring new head coaches following the conclusion of the season, including the Las Vegas Raiders. Sin City may have had the last hiring, but it might have found the gem of the offseason with Klint Kubiak.

The Seahawks' defense under Mike Macdonald was the star of the show in their Super Bowl run, and rightfully so, but they wouldn't have claimed the Lombardi if it weren't for Kubiak's work with Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Kenneth Walker III, and the rest of the offense. Now, he's heading to Las Vegas to see what he can do with Brock Bowers, Ashton Jeanty, and presumably, Fernando Mendoza.

2027 Super Bowl odds.

What stands out to you? pic.twitter.com/tGXPN5g4xL
— Marcus Whitman (@TFG_Football) February 9, 2026

The Raiders have a lot of work to do with their roster, but they have some promising building blocks in place already. With a strong draft and free agency, it wouldn't be shocking to see them have a similar turnaround to the Patriots, Bears, or Jaguars, who each went from five or fewer wins to playoff appearances under their first-year head coaches this season.

FanDuel has Las Vegas listed at +12,500 to win Super Bowl LXI, which is a far cry from realistic contention, but it's ahead of six teams. It's on Kubiak to surpass those encouraging, albeit humble, expectations.

Betting odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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