2026 NFL Draft: How Raiders HC Klint Kubiak Can Maximize Fernando Mendoza’s Potential

The Raiders’ official hiring of former Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak sets up what the long-suffering franchise hopes will be a perfect head coach-quarterback pairing entering the 2026 NFL season. With Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza the presumptive favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, the Raiders are expected to pair the Heisman Trophy winner with the hottest playcaller in the game. Kubiak will put Mendoza into a system that has routinely transformed average quarterbacks into Pro Bowlers and Pro Bowlers into MVP winners. Dating back to Mike Shanahan’s work with John Elway in the late 1990s — with Gary Kubiak, Klint’s father, serving as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach — this unique variation of Bill Walsh’s West Coast Offense has produced fireworks with or without an explosive playmaker under center. While there are plenty of examples of Mike and Kyle Shanahan elevating underrated quarterbacks — Kirk Cousins, Matt Ryan and Brock Purdy among them — the success the elder Kubiak enjoyed with Jake Plummer in Denver, Matt Schaub in Houston and Joe Flacco in Baltimore illustrates how the system can adapt to the talents of a quarterback. Utilizing various bootlegs, half-rollout and traditional play-action concepts based on the athleticism and arm talent of the quarterback, the elder Kubiak created easy, high-percentage throws for his students. With a complementary rushing attack that features various off-tackle runs designed to lure linebackers to the line of scrimmage, leaving huge voids for deep crossing routes and throwback tosses, the carefully scripted game plans make the game easy for the quarterback but challenging for the opponent. When the offense is humming with a dynamic running back splitting creases between the tackles and the quarterback tossing the ball around like a Blackjack dealer slinging cards at the casino table, the big plays and points come in bunches. In Las Vegas, Klint Kubiak will have a chance to light up opponents like a slot machine with an offense that already features blue-chip players at running back (Ashton Jeanty) and tight end (Brock Bowers). Kubiak’s experience as passing game coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers will come in handy as he builds a scheme that operates from the inside out, with the running back and tight end utilized to create and exploit mismatches. While duplicating the success of Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle will be a tall task, the system can provide a blueprint for how the Raiders should operate with a couple of emerging Pro Bowl-caliber playmakers on the perimeter. Owning the No. 1 overall pick in the draft gives the Raiders a chance to select the perfect point guard for the offense, and it’s a no-brainer for the Silver and Black to usher in a new era with Mendoza. He’s an athletic drop-back passer who reminds me of 2016 No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff, now a five-time NFL Pro Bowler. Mendoza is more athletic than Goff, and his ability to efficiently execute traditional drop-backs, play-action passes and movement-based concepts as a Hoosier provides a sneak peek at how he could flourish running the point for the Raiders. Granted, the high-IQ quarterback will need to get comfortable operating under center to execute handoffs and play-action fakes that force him to play “blind” (back to the defense) before taking deep shots on cleverly designed plays. As a polished field general who enters the league after a historic playoff run, during which he flawlessly executed carefully crafted game plans, Mendoza has the temperament and skill-set to bring Kubiak’s whiteboard wizardry to life. While questions persist regarding whether Mendoza can elevate the franchise as a game changer, there is no doubt he can excel with a stellar supporting cast around him. In Seattle, Kubiak helped Sam Darnold win a championship with strong support from a dominant defense, star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III. If Kubiak follows that blueprint in Las Vegas, the Raiders could return to prominence with a managerial franchise quarterback and a playcalling savant joining forces.