Why Raiders Can Be the Next 'Worst-to-First' Team

The Las Vegas Raiders are beginning a new era of Silver and Black football under head coach Klint Kubiak.

Kubiak becomes the fifth coach, permanent or interim, to take over the Raiders since Jon Gruden’s resignation in 2021. Raider Nation hopes he can be the answer to ending years of anguishing Sunday afternoons for this football team.

Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

The Raiders are entering a rebuild of sorts, and fans should be patient as Kubiak learns about his team and figures out how to be a head coach at the next level.

However, there is also the chance he follows in Liam Coen’s and Ben Johnson’s footsteps, taking his team from the bottom of the division to a title in one season. Is it likely? No, but it isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Let’s explain why the Raiders could be the next ‘worst-to-first’ team in the NFL in 2026.

Las Vegas Raiders: AFC West Champs 2026?

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

To start, the Raiders are starting fresh with an intelligent head coach-general manager duo. Kubiak and GM John Spytek appear to be in lockstep on the organization's future, and Spytek must do his best to field a competitive team for his new coach.

Coen and Johnson’s GMs made moves to acquire top players, such as Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles adding two key offensive linemen, and Jacksonville Jaguars GM James Gladstone pulling the trigger on a trade for former Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (3) runs on the field before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Titans 41-7, capturing the AFC South title. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Being aggressive through trades, free agency, and the NFL Draft allows teams to take the next steps in their rebuild. While the Raiders are only on step one, getting players who fit Kubiak’s philosophy will be key.

Will Spytek make those necessary moves? If he does, the Raiders will be much more competitive than the league expects in 2026.

The Raiders will also likely land Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Indiana's Fernando Mendoza (15) gets loose before the Indiana versus Ohio State Big Ten Championship football game at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

That pick gives Kubiak his future franchise QB, and we saw him do excellent work with Derek Carr in New Orleans and win a Super Bowl with Sam Darnold in Seattle. Mendoza is the best quarterback prospect in this draft, and he may be more of a ‘plug-and-play’ QB than a project.

Adding a QB who can help the team win games right now goes a long way as the Raiders figure out their identity. As Mendoza meshes with players like Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty, the Raiders’ offense could make serious noise in the league.

Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) looks on before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Kubiak must also make the right hire as defensive coordinator. He knows what excellent defense does for a team, as Mike Macdonald’s Seahawks were one of the best teams in the league because of how well they played on that side of the ball.

If the Raiders keep Maxx Crosby around and add more impact defenders in free agency and the draft, they should be able to compete much sooner than expected.

Being a competitive team is not so far off the horizon for this Las Vegas football team. If the offseason goes for the Raiders as it did for some former basement-dwellers-turned-division-winners, we could see the Raiders in the playoffs in Kubiak’s first year.

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