The 2026 NFL offseason has hardly even begun, and the Las Vegas Raiders have already jumped out to a comfortable lead as the big winners.
They got quite the head start when they finished the 2025 season at just 4-13, securing themselves the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft. With that premium asset in hand, it’s been largely presumed that the Raiders will spend the selection on Indiana quarterback and Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza.
Grabbing a new franchise field general is nice, but plenty of talented prospects have come into the league and failed due to a lackluster support system around them. Las Vegas General Manager John Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady are now tasked with building the proper infrastructure around Mendoza to give him his best chance at success at the NFL level. Hiring former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to replace Pete Carroll as head coach was a strong start.
The Las Vegas Raiders didn’t just fire Pete Carroll as head coach. They also needed a new offensive coordinator after showing Chip Kelly the door midway through the 2025 NFL season. Quarterbacks coach Greg Olson filled in as the interim after Kelly’s dismissal, but the Raiders wanted a fresh start at OC, too.
It seems that Sin City has found its answer there, as the Raiders are expected to hire Andrew Janocko. Most recently, he served as the quarterbacks coach for Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks. Clearly, new Head Coach Klint Kubiak had a heavy influence in the choice, as this will be the fourth partnership between him and Janocko. They worked side-by-side with the Seahawks last year, the New Orleans Saints in 2024, and the Minnesota Vikings in 2021.
Some of Kubiak and Janocko’s most impressive work this past season was what they were able to do for Sam Darnold, a talented but flawed quarterback whom they turned into a Super Bowl champion. Now, they’ll both act as direct mentors for the Raiders’ gunslingers, including Fernando Mendoza if the Raiders end up taking him with the first-overall pick.
Darnold always had tools. He came into the league as the third-overall pick in the 2018 draft due to his immense potential. While he’s shown flashes of reaching his ceiling throughout his eight-year career, he found a new peak playing under Kubiak and Janocko this past season. The Raiders will be hoping that the coaching duo can do the same for Mendoza, or whoever starts under center for Las Vegas in 2026.
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