Klint Kubiak isn’t giving away the Raiders’ hand just yet.
Las Vegas has spent the summer trying to build a new identity on the fly, with a revamped coaching staff and a roster that looks very different from the one it rolled out last season. But as the Raiders get ready for their final preseason game against the 49ers, Kubiak is keeping the details close to the vest.
“We'll see Thursday. I don't want to talk about who's playing, who's not playing, but we'll see Thursday,” Kubiak said on Tuesday.
That uncertainty fits the way the Raiders have handled this entire offseason. The goal has been twofold: install a new offensive and defensive system, and sort out who actually belongs in the mix. Those are separate jobs, and Las Vegas has been trying to do both at once with a staff that is still learning how to operate together.
Kubiak has leaned on the coaches he brought in, while letting players sort out roster and depth-chart spots through what they do in camp. The preseason games, including the matchup with San Francisco, are part of that process, even if the Raiders aren’t ready to reveal exactly how much weight Thursday will carry in those decisions.
“It doesn't matter, they've all got to get ready. Whoever is playing quarterback for us, it's a team thing.
It's not the QB playing well and everyone else is not, or the other way around. The offense will play well when everybody is contributing.”
That message lands clearly: the Raiders still have plenty to figure out, and the quarterback situation is only one piece of it. Some choices may already be in place, but the final exhibition gives the staff another look before the real games begin.
The preseason has also been about the little things that matter on Sundays. With a head coach and both coordinators working in elevated roles for the first time, Las Vegas has been using these games to sharpen the operation as much as the scheme.
“I'm really just thinking about just improving with the guys. You're really over the scheme right now and you can get into your own head, what to show, what not to show. I wanted our play style to improve from game one to game two, and I think we did that,” defensive coordinator Rob Leonard said.
“Just the focus of what I'm asking these guys to do. Klint [Kubiak] talks all the time about our operation, substitutions, getting in and out of the huddle, a sense of urgency to get lined up, safety rotation, like that's really been the focus over all of those things, of improving with that.”
For a team coming out of a major offseason reset, that kind of progress matters. The Raiders have spent months laying the groundwork from scratch, and by their own account, they’ve gotten as much done as they reasonably could in one offseason.
Thursday’s game against the 49ers should bring a few more answers, even if Kubiak isn’t saying much before kickoff. And with so many new pieces around the team, some of the unknowns may end up helping Las Vegas once the 2026 season gets underway, especially early on.
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There were encouraging flashes elsewhere, especially from rookie running back Mike Washington Jr., who picked up 49 yards on eight carries before leaving early, but the night also brought a setback on defense when rookie end Keyron Crawford went down with an ankle injury and did not return. For a team still sorting out depth and roles, the final tune-up left more questions than answers about how ready the roster is for Week 1. [Read more 🡒]