The Raiders will get a home-field start to the 2026 season, and that alone gives this opener a different feel. Las Vegas is set to welcome the Miami Dolphins to Allegiant Stadium, giving Raider Nation its first chance to open a season at home since 2021, when fans were allowed into the new stadium for the first time.
This matchup also comes with a clear talent edge for the Silver and Black. Miami is in the middle of a reset after trading away wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and releasing defensive lineman Bradley Chubb, while also moving forward with a new coach and general manager. The result is a roster that looks light on established NFL playmakers.
That shows up immediately on offense. The Dolphins’ pass-catching group is thin, with oft-injured tight end Greg Dulcich and rookie receivers Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell projected as the top options. On the back end, their defensive depth is also lacking, with rookie first-round pick Chris Johnson standing out as arguably their best boundary option.
Still, one player changes the equation: De'Von Achane. He has turned into one of the league’s most dangerous running backs, piling up more than 3,000 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns over his three-year career. With his game-breaking speed, he is the kind of player Miami will lean on heavily, and probably its best overall offensive weapon.
That makes Achane the obvious focal point for Defensive Coordinator Rob Leonard. If the Raiders can slow him down - no small task - they should be in solid shape. If they can’t, his speed could force the Dolphins’ passing game to open up.
Las Vegas has its own momentum building under Klint Kubiak and the current roster, and the early signs suggest the Raiders may be more competitive in 2026 than many expect. The Dolphins, meanwhile, look like a team still figuring itself out. On paper, this is the kind of Week 1 game the Raiders should expect to handle, and confidence should be high that they’ll start the year with a win.
In Other News...
Raiders Suddenly Face A Real Maxx Crosby Problem They Cant Ignore
The Cowboys have already spent the early part of the season reshaping their roster financially, restructuring three veteran contracts to create more than $33 million in cap space. That kind of move inevitably invites a bigger question, and in this case it has quickly centered on Maxx Crosby, the Raiders star edge rusher, with speculation building that Dallas could be positioning itself for a run at him before the Week 10 deadline.
For the Raiders, the chatter is impossible to ignore because it comes on top of prior trade discussions between the two teams and a very public dismissal of the rumors from owner Mark Davis. Crosby has been one of the defining players on the roster, which is exactly why any renewed push from Dallas would land with real force in Las Vegas, even if no deal has been finalized and nothing suggests the talks are close to reaching that point. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Still Paying For Past Roster Mistakes In One Painful Way
The Raiders have started to come out from under a wave of dead money tied to some of their more recognizable recent departures, clearing off cap hits from former players such as Davante Adams, Jimmy Garoppolo, Gardner Minshew and Andre James as they look toward the 2026 NFL season. For a team that has spent plenty of time trying to reset its roster, that is a welcome bit of financial breathing room and a sign that some of the most expensive mistakes of the recent past are finally fading.
Even so, the cap picture is still far from clean. Las Vegas remains on the hook for dead cap obligations involving Tyree Wilson, Jakobi Meyers, Geno Smith and Christian Wilkins, a reminder that the roster churn has not always come with easy exits. Those lingering charges are the kind of back-end burden that can quietly shape how aggressive the Raiders can be in the months ahead, even as the organization keeps trying to build around a more stable core. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Rookie Class Could Force Bigger Roles Faster Than Expected
The Raiders went into the offseason expecting their 2026 draft class to be about long-term development, but the preseason has made that plan look a little more complicated. Several rookies have flashed enough to put themselves in the conversation for real playing time, and Las Vegas has needs that could push younger players onto the field sooner than originally projected.
Fernando Mendoza, Treydan Stukes, Keyron Crawford, Trey Zuhn III, Jermod McCoy and Mike Washington Jr. all entered camp with different paths ahead of them, but the common thread is opportunity. Some are now positioned for starting jobs or meaningful snaps, while others may end up with smaller roles or have their seasons interrupted by injury, leaving the Raiders to sort out just how quickly this class can change the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]