Isaiah Pola-Mao is walking into Raiders training camp with plenty to prove.
For most of the returning players from Las Vegas’ 2025 roster, nothing feels guaranteed heading into 2026. New head coach Klint Kubiak has brought in a fresh wave of talent, and the secondary in particular has been reshaped with a clear message: compete or get pushed aside.
The Raiders traded for veteran nickel Taron Johnson and added four defensive backs in the draft - Arizona safeties Treydan Stukes and Dalton Johnson, plus cornerbacks Jermod McCoy of Tennessee and Zeke Masses of California. That kind of turnover puts the entire back end on notice. Unless a player was extended this offseason like Eric Stokes or drafted last year like Darien Porter, the margin for error is thin.
Pola-Mao fits squarely into that pressure zone.
His 2025 season was a letdown after he flashed real promise in 2024 while filling in for an injured Marcus Epps and then landed a solid extension from new general manager John Spytek. Instead of building on that, he struggled through what was a rough year for the Raiders.
Part of the issue was usage. Pola-Mao is better as a box safety, closer to the line of scrimmage, where he can play to his strengths.
He does not have the coverage instincts or range to be the deep safety and last line of defense, but Pete Carroll and Co. still leaned on him there last fall. That put him in a tough spot from the start.
Still, the film showed problems that went beyond alignment. Missed tackles, poor eye discipline and receivers slipping away from him were all too common. Those were his mistakes, plain and simple.
Now the competition is even steeper. Stukes was brought in to step in as the free safety in Rob Leonard’s defense, and Jeremy Chinn is expected to start at strong safety. Beyond that, the Raiders could actually save money by moving on from Pola-Mao, which matters.
At different points this offseason, multiple reports had Pola-Mao as the third safety behind Chinn and Stukes. But if Leonard treats nickels and safeties as interchangeable pieces, Pola-Mao could slide even further, potentially behind Chinn, Stukes and Taron Johnson.
Dalton Johnson also flashed during the offseason program, and if he proves he can handle special teams and a limited rotational role, that only tightens the squeeze on Pola-Mao.
There is still a path for him. He has the size, the talent and the kind of frame teams like to work with. A shift from Patrick Graham to Leonard might help, and this staff could be the one that finally puts him in the right spot.
But the Raiders’ offseason moves tell their own story. The front office clearly wasn’t satisfied with how the back end performed last year, and no one logged more snaps there in 2025 than Pola-Mao.
A strong camp and preseason could change the conversation quickly. He is not an expensive piece, and if his role is trimmed down, he may be able to avoid the kind of mistakes that burned him a year ago. He could also fit neatly into what Leonard wants to run.
For now, though, Raider Nation is waiting to see it. With one year left on his contract, Pola-Mao needs to show he still belongs in Las Vegas, and training camp is where that case has to start.
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Now the conversation shifts to what comes next, and the fit matters as much as the talent. With Klint Kubiak in place as the new offensive coordinator, the Raiders are moving toward a zone-based rushing approach that leans on versatile backs, which could line up better with Jeantys game if the offensive line takes a step forward and the supporting cast holds up. [Read more 🡒]