Raiders made an offseason decision that was so good they could end up losing a staff member to a promotion over the next few years
The Las Vegas Raiders have a young up-and-coming coach in tight ends coach Luke Steckel, who’s helped Brock Bowers a ton.
The Las Vegas Raiders made plenty of changes to their coaching staff when Klint Kubiak took over as head coach. But one retention stands out as particularly significant for the future of the offense: tight end coach Luke Steckel.
Kubiak brought in his own guys across the staff, and much of that turnover was necessary. The hiring of offensive line coach Rick Denison, for example, addressed a glaring need. Former offensive line coach Brennen Carroll, Pete Carroll’s son, simply didn’t work out. There are reports that Carroll barely coached during practice, leaving players to figure things out on their own. That’s a different story entirely, but it speaks to how important it was for Kubiak to reshape the staff. Steckel, though, was someone Kubiak wanted to keep around.
Why Steckel matters to the Raiders’ future
Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic wrote that “Steckel was retained by new head coach Klint Kubiak in part as a nod of respect to his work with young superstar tight end Brock Bowers in his first two NFL seasons.”
That detail matters because Bowers is arguably the best player on the entire roster. Yes, he had a down year in 2025, but context is everything. Bowers played through injuries on what may have been the worst offense in football. He still managed a decent season despite all of that working against him.
Las Vegas needs Bowers at his best in 2026, and keeping stability around him is a smart way to help make that happen. Bringing in a new tight end coach could have disrupted the rapport and development that Steckel has built with Bowers since his rookie year, when the tight end immediately declared himself one of the best at his position in the league.
Steckel’s trajectory could become a problem for Las Vegas
Steckel is a good, up-and-coming coach who has done nothing but positive things with the tight end room. Watching how he operates in 2026 under Kubiak, who should install a better offensive system, will be worth monitoring closely.
The flip side of having a talented young assistant is that other teams will eventually come calling. Steckel could be a coach who gets poached for a promotion down the line. We see that happen often, especially lately with young coaches. Whether that’s a passing game coordinator role or something higher. That’s a bridge the Raiders will cross when they get to it, but it speaks to the quality of the staff Kubiak has assembled.
The Raiders’ offense has the pieces to take a leap
If Bowers gets going in 2026, this offense could look dramatically different from what we saw last season. The Raiders added running back Ashton Jeanty, improved the offensive line, and will have better quarterback play regardless of how the quarterback competition shakes out.
There’s not much to say right now about the coaching staff that would sound negative. Everything Kubiak has put in place points toward the future, and the early returns suggest he’s headed down the right path. Of course, a lot still needs to be proven on the field. But the Raiders are off to a good start, and Steckel’s presence could be a key reason Bowers takes the leap everyone expects in 2026.