What Klint Kubiak hire manner for Las Vegas: two-RB intention, extra 12-personnel and a doable Mendoza pairing

HENDERSON, Nev. — In the Las Vegas Raiders‘ gaze for their twenty fifth head coach, they made a transfer that made sense. With running back Ashton Jeanty and tight discontinuance Brock Bowers within the building, and Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza potentially on the plot in which, Las Vegas’ hire of an offensive-minded coach is all about maximizing the probability of its present and future younger stars.

The Raiders landed Klint Kubiak, who ideal led the Seattle Seahawks to a Huge Bowl LX accumulate as offensive coordinator. The hiring of Kubiak, 38, which used to be made legitimate Monday, used to be a transfer within the direction the franchise wanted for its rebuilding efforts.

Certain, Kubiak will instruct an offensive intention that is confirmed — Seattle ranked third in points (28.4 per sport) and eighth in total yards (351.4) in 2025. But his arrival also manner the Raiders secured their high decision within the instructing search, a a lot yowl from final three hundred and sixty five days after they settled for Pete Carroll after inserting out on Ben Johnson.

Raiders odd manager John Spytek led the instructing search in shut collaboration with minority owner and dilapidated NFL quarterback Tom Brady. Earlier than the quest that began in earnest Jan. 5 when the Raiders fired Carroll, Spytek mentioned the group may perhaps be delivery-minded in its capacity. Nevertheless, it used to make sure that folk with offensive backgrounds were emphasized. Of the 15 candidates who interviewed for the gap, 10 coaches taking into account offense, including Davis Webb, Mike McDaniel, Brian Daboll and Kubiak.

Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero used to be the group’s backup option after Webb withdrew his title.

Kubiak stood out in his digital interview on Jan. 9, and he impressed the group and Brady in particular person. Brady used to be the Fox colour commentator for Seattle’s 41-6 accumulate over the San Francisco 49ers within the divisional spherical and its 31-27 victory in opposition to the Los Angeles Rams within the NFC Championship Game.

The Raiders zeroed in on Kubiak the week sooner than the Seahawks traveled to San Francisco for the Huge Bowl. They officially met with him for a second time in Seattle on Jan. 31, along with the Arizona Cardinals. The wait may perhaps’ve regarded volatile thanks to the high instructing vacancies across the league that were filling up, anxious the group’s choices.

However the Raiders’ endurance used to be rewarded. They signed Kubiak to a 5-three hundred and sixty five days deal, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Now, Las Vegas unruffled has critical strides to manufacture sooner than it may probably in point of fact contend. The offense, however, may perhaps also unruffled be in a considerably better location after finishing final in points (14.1) and total yards (245.2).

Under Kubiak, the Seahawks’ offense used to be evening and day from final season’s Ryan Grubb-led group that accomplished 18th in points (22.1) and 14th in total yards (332.2). The 2025 Seahawks’ points per sport total (28.4) ranks second in franchise historical previous within the back of the 2020 group, which averaged 28.7 points.

Kubiak, son of dilapidated Denver Broncos coach Gary Kubiak, hails from the Kyle Shanahan instructing tree and runs his model of the West Wing offense.

He’s heavy on player usage, similar to 12 personnel (one running back, two wide receivers and two tight ends) and 21 personnel (two running backs, a tight discontinuance and two wide receivers). By doing so, the Seahawks compelled opponents to stay the whisk, allowing them to make mismatches and explosive plays within the passing sport.

The Raiders’ present wide receiver room does no longer stand up to the Seahawks’. Seattle featured 2025 Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed and Cooper Kupp. Nevertheless, Las Vegas’ Bowers — who recorded 64 catches for 680 yards and 7 touchdowns in 12 video games — has a likelihood to thrive in Kubiak’s intention.

The Raiders even absorb wide receiver Tre Tucker (57 catches, 696 yards and 5 touchdowns), who can stretch the self-discipline vertically. He has made strides in every of the three seasons he has been within the league and can unruffled rob an even bigger leap with Kubiak as the playcaller. Tucker used to be praised for getting delivery by a hit his one-on-one matchups. Kubiak used to be exact at scheming plays that created one-on-one matchups for his trail catchers.

The Seahawks were amongst the right groups in utilizing 12 personnel. All the plot in which thru the odd season, Seattle frail 12 personnel on 27.4% of its offensive plays (11th within the league, per NFL Next Gen Stats). They were first in total yards per play (7.5), first in passing yards per play (10.5), third in offensive EPA (47.01) and third in speeding yards (5.3).

Kubiak’s delivery air zone whisk intention used to be effective, as Seattle used to be tied for 10th in speeding yards (123.3) after it ranked 28th (95.7) in 2024. He did a solid job at utilizing running backs Kenneth Walker III (221 carries, 1,027 yards and 5 touchdowns) and Zach Charbonnet (184 carries, 730 yards and 12 touchdowns).

Walker used to be named the Huge Bowl MVP after he rushed for 135 yards on 27 carries in opposition to the Patriots.

The Raiders desired to whisk a two-running-back intention under dilapidated offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, however that opinion within the slay failed. Las Vegas accomplished final in speeding yards (77.5) per sport. Jeanty ran the ball 266 times for 975 yards and 5 ratings. And the player with the second-most carries used to be quarterback Geno Smith with 41.

Jeanty, who averaged 3.7 yards per elevate, may perhaps also unruffled absorb consistent production with Kubiak’s intention. But for him and the leisure of the offense to absorb some originate of success in Year 1, a handful of changes may perhaps also unruffled be made thru free agency or the draft. The Raiders are expected to make investments heavily within the offensive line after the unit used to be the group’s finest weak point in 2025.

Las Vegas already has the left tackle location solidified with Kolton Miller. This will doubtless maybe be up to the original instructing staff for whether or no longer Jackson Powers-Johnson plays exact guard or center. Light, including two inside linemen and an genuine tackle may perhaps be wise.

Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum, Los Angeles Chargers guard Zion Johnson and Buffalo Funds guard David Edwards are amongst the free agent linemen. The Raiders may perhaps also instruct back starting up left guard Dylan Parham, who has began in 63 of 64 profession video games with the group.

They’re going to even absorb to add a high wide receiver who can rob the dignity away from Bowers. The Indianapolis Colts‘ Alec Pierce and the Seahawks’ Rashid Shaheed are two wide receivers the Raiders may perhaps also purpose in free agency. Shaheed has familiarity with Kubiak’s intention and may perhaps provide additional charge as a returner.

On high of that, the Raiders absorb to develop every other running back to enhance Jeanty and allow Kubiak to replicate what he did with Walker and Charbonnet.

In the likelihood that Mendoza is selected with the No. 1 opt in April’s draft, he and Kubiak may perhaps also unruffled originate a solid pairing. Kubiak has seen solid quarterback play up shut. Seattle’s QB Sam Darnold earned his second Professional Bowl decision after recording 4,048 passing yards (fifth within the league), 25 touchdowns (tied for ninth), 14 interceptions (third) and 67.7% completion rate (seventh) in 2025.

When Kubiak used to be the offensive coordinator for the Unusual Orleans Saints in 2024, QB Derek Carr recorded 2,145 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 60.2 QBR and a 67.7% completion rate in 10 video games. San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy had 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions when Kubiak used to be the passing sport coordinator in 2023.

All the plot in which thru Kubiak’s three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, two as a quarterbacks coach (2019-2020) and one as an offensive coordinator (2021), Kirk Cousins threw for 12,089 yards, 94 touchdowns and a completion rate of 67.6%. Cousins used to be a Professional Bowl decision in 2021 after throwing for 4,221 yards, 33 touchdowns and 7 picks.

Mendoza — a Heisman Trophy winner and nationwide champion — mentioned on the Pat McAfee level to that he used to be a “huge fan” of Kubiak and has watched quite a lot of the Seahawks’ movie.

“Throughout this entire season, we actually had a little bit of a Kubiak-[Sean] McVay system, not for our RPO system but our play-action,” Mendoza mentioned in San Francisco at some level of Huge Bowl week.

“The way [Kubiak] is able to incorporate outside zone and get the edge with the run game, where the running back can collect the edge, hit the hole or cut back and do play-action off of that, and the way he has developed Sam Darnold has been phenomenal.”

“Just being a football fan, I watched a lot of breakdowns of his films.”