The Las Vegas Raiders were one of the worst teams in the NFL last season, and that goes beyond just their record. They were consistently getting blown out by their opposition, had arguably one of the worst quarterbacks in the league, and a head coach who didn’t add anything to their team.
It’s fair to call the 2025 Raiders one of the most disappointing teams in recent memory, given all of the offseason hype in reuniting Geno Smith and Pete Carroll in the Silver and Black. Now that they’re facing the 2026 offseason, they are once again being propped up to be one of the most exciting teams next season. Why should they feel optimistic about their chances this time around?
Preparing for a Leap
Feb 10, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek at press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Jared Dublin writes for CBS Sports, and he wrote an article breaking down the top five teams that are in line to make a massive jump next season. The Raiders are on the list, with their new head coach, new quarterback, and head coach duo leading the way for why they will be vastly improved in 2026.
“The Raiders should be significantly better in 2026 than they were in 2025, even if only because they can’t possibly get worse. They went just 3-14 this past season, checking in with the league’s worst offense in a variety of metrics and one of its worst defenses as well. Simply put, they weren’t good at anything. And it’s really hard to be bad at everything two seasons in a row. (Even if it has been done before)”, said Dublin.
Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) on the field after loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Dublin’s sentiment about it not getting much worse is one that rings true if you watched the Raiders play last season. Ashton Jeanty, who was a runner-up for the Heisman award in his final season in college, was reduced to an inefficient and largely ineffective running back behind the Raiders’ offensive line.
Two of their biggest stars on the team, Maxx Crosby and Brock Bowers, dealt with injuries that limited their impact on the field. It eventually led to them getting benched at one point in the season or another, and they simply couldn’t capitalize on the star power they had. One of their only compotent receives in Jakobi Meyers they traded away midseason, and if you saw Pete Carroll on the sideline, it was clear he and the Raiders’ top brass had embraced the tank.
Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
There are plenty of reasons why the Raiders won’t be as bad offensively or defensively next season. The biggest reason is their hiring of Klint Kubiak, who’s a person more capable of helping the Raiders out of a rebuild than Carroll. His offensive schemes just won the Seattle Seahawks their second Super Bowl in franchise history, and he helped Sam Darnold’s career revitalization have some real legs behind it.
“The Raiders also have the second-most available cap space in the NFL with over $91 million to spend, according to Over the Cap, and they have not just the No. 1 overall pick in the draft (which they are widely expected to use on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza) but the third-most overall draft capital in the league. All of that should combine to make the Raiders at least a few games better in 2026. They’re almost surely not going to go from worst-to-first like the Patriots did, but they could”.
Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza (15) smiles as he celebrates after the College Football Playoff National Championship college football game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
However, the biggest reason why it’s impossible for them to be as bad offensively as they were last season is their change at quarterback. Fernando Mendoza had an excellent final season with the Indiana Hoosiers, and without taking a single snap of NFL football, I believe he’s already better than Smith was last season.
That might be hyperbolic to say, but he exhibited toughness, heart, and grit that simply weren’t present when Smith was on the field. His numerous turnovers put the Raiders consistently in bad spots, and I don’t think Mendoza will throw 17 interceptions in his rookie season.
Oct 12, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker (1) runs the ball down the field during the second half against the Tennessee Titans at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
There will just be too many factors at play for the Raiders to be as bad as they were last season. Even if they were to somehow finish with the same record, I’d bet they improve on their 2 – 5 record in one-score games that they had last season.
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