HENDERSON, Nev. — Klint Kubiak isn’t waiting for the ink to dry. Less than a week after taking the reins as the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coach, the offensive mastermind has officially locked in his coordinators, blending a championship pedigree from Seattle with a defensive stalwart already in the building.
On Sunday, the Raiders officially elevated defensive line coach Rob Leonard to defensive coordinator. On the other side of the ball, Kubiak tapped the pipeline from his former squad, bringing Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko to Las Vegas as offensive coordinator.
The Seattle Pipeline: Chasing the Lombardi Blueprint
The hiring of Janocko isn’t just a reunion; it’s a statement. Kubiak and Janocko were instrumental in the Seahawks’ recent Super Bowl run, turning Sam Darnold—a quarterback once written off as a draft bust—into a champion.
Under Janocko’s direct tutelage in Seattle, Darnold resurrected his career with a lethal 2025 campaign. The numbers scream efficiency: 4,048 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and a 67.7% completion rate. Darnold’s transformation from a “bridge quarterback” to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy is the exact kind of quarterback whispering the Raiders are desperate to replicate in the desert.
While Kubiak will retain play-calling duties—a role he thrived in with Seattle’s high-octane attack—he emphasized that the offensive machine requires more than one operator.
“It’s Not a One-Man Show”
“I’ve never called the game by myself. That’s something we do as a coaching staff together. We plan together. We communicate on game day together — quarterback coach, pass game coordinator, run game coordinator.”
— Klint Kubiak, Raiders Head Coach
The Defensive Gamble: Mending Fences with Maxx?
On defense, Kubiak followed the playbook of his predecessors, Antonio Pierce and Josh McDaniels, by looking inward. Rob Leonard, 38, earns the promotion after three seasons grinding in the trenches as the defensive line coach.
This move is about more than continuity; it might be a peace offering. Leonard has been in the ear of star pass rusher Maxx Crosby for years. The relationship between the franchise face and the front office hit freezing temperatures late last season when Crosby was placed on injured reserve against his wishes.
The tension was palpable. Crosby, who underwent knee surgery last month, reportedly left the facility immediately upon hearing the IR news. While he recently appeared on The Herd with Colin Cowherd to downplay trade demands, he notably didn’t deny the friction existed. Promoting the coach who helped Crosby rack up numbers could be Kubiak’s first big win in locker room diplomacy.
By The Numbers: The Good, The Bad, and The Gassed
Leonard inherits a unit that was paradoxically elite and exhausted. The 2025 Raiders defense was a brick wall against the run but cracked under the weight of an inept offense.
- 3.9 Yards Per Rush: Allowed just 3.9 yards per carry, tied for second-best in the NFL.
- 105 Tackles for Loss: Ranked third in the league, wreaking havoc behind the line of scrimmage.
- 28:02 Time of Possession: The offense kept the defense on the field far too long, ranking dead last in the NFL.
What’s Next
The staff is set, but the roster remains a question mark. Kubiak must now decide if the current quarterback room can run his Super Bowl-winning scheme or if he needs to find his own “Sam Darnold project” in free agency or the draft. With the combine around the corner, all eyes are on whether Kubiak and Janocko can strike gold twice.
