Klint Kubiak’s decision to play Raiders starters in the preseason could pay major dividends for Las Vegas
The Las Vegas Raiders have decided to play their starters in some of the 2026 preseason games.
The Las Vegas Raiders are heading into the 2026 season with reason to feel good about where they stand.
Rookie head coach Klint Kubiak recently told Amber Theoharis that the Raiders starters will get plenty of reps in the preseason, a decision that could prove significant for a team installing an entirely new offensive scheme. The details remain unclear. Will quarterback Kirk Cousins play a heavy workload? Will he suit up for one preseason game or all of them? Those answers will come later, but the commitment to getting starters on the field against live competition matters.
Most teams limit their starters’ preseason exposure, and Las Vegas will likely follow that trend to some degree. The starters probably won’t play every game. But the Raiders need at least some meaningful action before Week 1, and Kubiak appears to understand that.
Why live reps matter for this Raiders team
This is a chance to knock the rust off and get players competing against someone other than their own teammates. The value of that cannot be overstated. Last Friday’s practice offered a reminder of what happens when the same players line up across from each other day after day.
Maxx Crosby and Cousins got into it again during a practice session, the kind of tension that builds naturally when competitive players face each other repeatedly. Getting starters onto the field against a different team allows them to channel that aggression in a more productive direction.
The bigger factor, though, is the scheme change. This is a completely different system than what Chip Kelly and Pete Carroll ran last season. The offense won’t look anything like what the Raiders deployed in 2025, and this isn’t the same roster, either.
A new coaching staff with a new playbook needs live-action reps to see how the pieces fit together. Training camp reps are valuable, but they’re often structured to benefit one side of the ball or the other. Preseason games provide the unscripted, full-speed action that exposes what’s working and what still needs attention.
How much will the starters actually play?
The Raiders will likely give their starters at least a quarter of action in the first preseason game. It wouldn’t be surprising if Kubiak limited them to the first drive or two, either. Some coaches prefer that approach early in the preseason, building up from there. Regardless of the exact number of snaps, the Raiders need some type of game plan for meaningful starter reps against another team next week.
Kubiak making this call as a first-year head coach is encouraging. Too many times, teams have decided to sit their starters throughout the preseason and paid for it with slow starts to the regular season. That pattern repeats itself almost every year. A team holds its key players out entirely, and then the first few weeks look sloppy and disjointed. Kubiak seems intent on avoiding that trap.
As for the specifics, don’t expect Kubiak to reveal much before game day. He’s not the type to hand out detailed information about his plans. Raiders fans will probably learn the exact workload breakdown when the game kicks off.
Fernando Mendoza could get extended action
The preseason also presents a prime opportunity to see plenty of rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza. With Cousins likely playing a limited role, Mendoza should get significant snaps in every preseason game. That’s a development opportunity the Raiders can use, and it gives the fan base something to be excited about.
Raiders football is coming back, and there’s genuine reason for optimism in Las Vegas. A new coaching staff committed to getting its players ready, a veteran quarterback in Cousins, and a rookie signal-caller in Mendoza waiting for his chance. The preseason starts next week, and the Raiders appear ready to use it the right way.
