The Las Vegas Raiders are entering the 2026 offseason with something they haven’t had in a while: momentum-and a whole lot of opportunity.
Let’s start with the headline: the Raiders secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft in the final game of the regular season. That alone would be enough to spark optimism in the desert.
But now, it looks like they’ve also found their next head coach in Klint Kubiak, the Seattle Seahawks’ offensive coordinator. While nothing’s been officially announced, all signs point to Kubiak taking the reins in Vegas.
That’s a big deal. Pairing a young, offensive-minded coach like Kubiak with the top pick in the draft-widely expected to be Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza-gives the Raiders a chance to reset the franchise in a big way. Mendoza has the tools to be a franchise QB, and giving him a play-caller like Kubiak could be the foundation of something real in Vegas.
But let’s be clear: this rebuild won’t hinge on just two names. The Raiders have a few cornerstone pieces already in place-guys like Maxx Crosby, one of the league’s most relentless pass rushers; Brock Bowers, the dynamic tight end; Ashton Jeanty, an emerging backfield weapon; and Kolton Miller, a steady presence on the offensive line.
That’s a solid start. But to truly climb out of the NFL’s middle tier, they’ll need to nail the rest of the 2026 draft and make smart, aggressive moves in free agency.
And here’s where things get even more interesting.
The NFL just handed every front office a gift: a projected salary cap bump from $279.2 million to somewhere between $301.2 million and $305.7 million. That’s a jump of over $26 million-essentially enough room to add a star player or a handful of quality starters. For a team like the Raiders, who already have the second-most cap space in the league, this is a game-changer.
According to Over The Cap, Vegas is sitting on $91.5 million in cap space. That’s not just a little wiggle room-that’s a war chest.
While many teams are hovering in the $15-$40 million range, the Raiders are in a different stratosphere. They can outbid other franchises for impact players on the open market, and now they’ve got even more financial flexibility to do so.
That means if they want to chase top-tier free agents-names like Tyler Linderbaum, Braden Smith, or Rashid Shaheed-they can. And they can do it without having to cut corners elsewhere on the roster.
Still, this isn’t Madden. The Raiders can’t just throw money at every problem.
They’ll need to be smart. The front office, led by John Spytek and Tom Brady, has to strike a balance between aggressive spending and strategic roster building.
But the good news is they’ll have no trouble hitting the league’s cash spending floor. In fact, with this kind of cap space, they should be able to address multiple needs across the board-whether that’s bolstering the offensive line, adding depth on defense, or surrounding Mendoza with more weapons.
So here we are: a franchise with the No. 1 pick, a new head coach on the way, a promising young core, and nearly $100 million in cap space to reshape the roster. For a team that’s spent the better part of the last decade searching for an identity, the pieces are finally starting to come together.
Now it’s about execution. If the Raiders can capitalize on this rare combination of draft capital and financial flexibility, they won’t just be rebuilding-they’ll be building something that lasts.