The Raiders may have spent heavily to reshape their linebacker room, but one of the quieter names in the group is starting to force his way into the conversation.
Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean were brought in to anchor the position and are expected to start for the 2026 NFL season. Dean’s injury history, though, makes the backup plan more than a formality.
For a while, Tommy Eichenberg looked like the obvious answer. Instead, Cody Lindenberg has started to separate himself.
During OTAs, Lindenberg was taking starter reps while Dean was sidelined. That fits the kind of player he was at Minnesota, where he served as the captain of the defense and built a reputation on intelligence and instincts. Those traits are showing up early in his NFL career, and they’ve helped him get on the field before Year 2.
Lindenberg’s rookie season didn’t include any defensive snaps, but he carved out a role on special teams. He logged seven tackles on kick and punt return, giving the Raiders effort and reliability on a unit that struggled for much of the year.
He also turned heads in the preseason, where PFF said he led the team with five defensive run stops. That performance helped him make the 53-man roster and pushed him into the “next man up” spot at linebacker.
There’s another layer to his value, too. Lindenberg has the kind of awareness that can make him a green-dot linebacker if someone goes down. At Minnesota, he was the player making sure everyone was lined up correctly, and that command of the defense is part of what stands out on film.
New defensive coordinator Rob Leonard has noticed. Leonard called Lindenberg a sponge when talking about how quickly he absorbs what the Raiders want on defense. That kind of trust matters, especially for a young linebacker trying to climb the depth chart.
If Lindenberg keeps building on what he’s shown so far, this could be the season he goes from special teams contributor to a real factor on defense for the Silver and Black.
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Mendozas rise matters because the Raiders are not just hunting for short-term competence, they are trying to find a direction that can hold up against the rest of the division. The presence of Tom Brady only adds to the sense that Las Vegas is thinking bigger than a single season, and the fit with Klint Kubiak gives the rookie a path to matter sooner than expected. If that momentum keeps building, the Raiders quarterback picture could become one of the most important storylines in the AFC West before long. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Fans Will Have Strong Feelings About This Disney Throwback
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Among the early pairings, the Raiders landed on Darth Vader, a fit that instantly gives the silver and black a darker, more theatrical edge. The reveal came during a presentation featuring Roger Goodell, Tom Brady and Fernando Mendoza, and more team-character pairings are set to roll out online in August and then continue through the 2026 season. [Read more 🡒]