The Raiders kick off the preseason today against the Cardinals. It'll be one of three dress rehearsals for Las Vegas before the regular season starts.
With two new quarterbacks, a new head coach and a star edge rusher returning from a canceled trade, the Raiders have plenty of questions surrounding the start of the 2026 season.
Here is what to watch for as the Raiders host the Cardinals.
Kubiak Calling Plays
For the first time Kubiak will be calling plays while handling head coach responsibilities. He will have more to oversee on the sideline than ever before.
Kubiak was asked about how he expected the experience to go and said it would be “baptism by fire.” But he also is pleased to have help around him.
“I have never called a game alone,” Kubiak said. “Every NFL game takes the entire staff. I won’t be on my own.”
Kubiak has been a coach in the NFL for 12 of the past 13 seasons - he had a one-year stop as the wide receiver coach at Kansas in 2015. The Raiders will be the sixth NFL team he has worked for. Kubiak has plenty of experience in the league.
However, he is a first-time head coach, and this will be just the fourth season he is the offensive play caller for a team. He’s never called plays for the same team in consecutive seasons. Not only is he inexperienced as a head coach, Kubiak isn’t a seasoned veteran when it comes to calling plays.
How well he can adjust to being the head coach while running an offense will likely determine how successful he and the Raiders are.
Maxx Crosby’s Availability
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Maxx Crosby practiced on Tuesday at Allegiant Stadium. But he might not play in the preseason opener.
When asked about Crosby’s availability for Thursday’s game, Kubiak said, “We’ll see about Maxx. TBD.”
Crosby is recovering from offseason knee surgery. But he has been a full participant throughout camp, aside from when he was suspended after getting into a fight with Kirk Cousins. Kubiak provided no more details as to why Crosby might not play in the first preseason game. He’s the only healthy player Kubiak has said might not play.
Does Fernando Mendoza play with the starters?
So far in training camp, Mendoza has gotten one cameo with the starting offense. It came when Cousins and Crosby were suspended. Otherwise he has been relegated to second-team snaps.
Kubiak was asked if Mendoza will play with the first-team offense in the preseason game and, like his answer about Crosby, refused to give up any information.
“I just don’t want to talk about how we are going to play those guys,” Kubiak said.
The Raiders are planning for Cousins to start over Mendoza this season. How Kubiak splits up first-team snaps will be telling as to how much the Raiders value developing Mendoza or getting Cousins as ready as possible for the 2026 season.
