Klint Kubiak has brought his culture and urgency to Raiders

HENDERSON, Nev. -- For Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins, the major difference between Klint Kubiak as a first-time head coach compared to a position coach/offensive coordinator is a greater sense of urgency.

After Kubiak tasted what it's like to reach the top of the NFL, winning Super Bowl LX with the Seattle Seahawks, he joined the Raiders to help them try to return to the pinnacle for the first time since 1984 -- something previous coaches have failed to do. And he doesn't want to waste time in doing so.

Cousins, 37, has noticed Kubiak being laser-focused on turning the organization around after four straight losing seasons. That's why Cousins repeatedly checks his watch whenever he is driving to the Intermountain Health Performance Center for practice.

"When I'm driving into work in the morning, I'm kind of like, I feel it. I'm like, 'I better be on [time] today,'" said Cousins, who played three of his six seasons for Kubiak with the Minnesota Vikings when the now-39-year-old playcaller was either the team's quarterbacks coach or offensive coordinator (2019-21).

"I check my watch like four times to make sure I'm on time or early, because I just feel like he brings that sense of urgency that the great coaches tend to bring, right?"

Kubiak understands he has a huge mountain to climb. Despite the Raiders improving certain position groups during the offseason, the overall roster resembles a group in the midst of a rebuild, not one that's fully equipped to compete in a crowded AFC West.

But the Raiders can't begin paving a way to becoming a winning organization until Kubiak instills his culture and makes sure everyone is bought in. Since the spring, he has made the necessary strides with a candid attitude, strong attention to detail and a team-first approach.

"What you see is what you get. It's no nonsense," wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni said. "It's ball 24/7 here. And if you're not a tough guy mentally and physically, if you don't like to sit through 18 hours of meetings and practice for three hours, this probably isn't the place for you. And that's the culture he's creating."

PunterAJ Coleis one of three players (left tackle Kolton Miller and defensive end Maxx Crosby) who have been with the Raiders since the organization was based in Oakland (the team's last season there was in 2019). He has been through his fair share of unsuccessful rebuilds with different coaching staffs, most recently in 2025 when former coach Pete Carroll led the Raiders to a 3-14 campaign, which led to his firing.

Cole didn't want to disparage previous regimes. At the same time, he has noticed a collective buy-in to Kubiak's vision from the players to coaching staff and members of the front office.

"I think that the number of people swimming in the same direction is definitely at an all-time high," Cole said.

Part of the reason Kubiak has everyone on the same page is his removal of the word "I" from the team's verbiage. Defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV said Kubiak doesn't care about a player's contract or whether they are a starter; everyone is held to the same standard. For Kubiak, accountability is essential.

That was true during last Saturday's practice. Kubiak held Cousins and Crosby -- two team leaders -- out of practice after they got into a scuffle the previous day. Kubiak issued a statement, saying the players violated team rules, which led to them being bystanders.

"When guys know there's a standard that everyone's being held to, there is no question, there is no gray area," Booker said. "I think that when you have clarity of job description and what's asked, you have a team that can go and make real strides."

Kubiak's father and former NFL head coach, Gary, said his son can be unassuming. It's to the point where someone wouldn't think he is a football coach. Even though Kliff Kubiak says very little, his words carry weight. He's not afraid to call out players whenever they make a mistake.

Left tackle DJ Glaze said Kubiak's practices are challenging. But he doesn't mind having a coach who pushes him to his limits.

"It's training camp; that's what it's meant for, but if you're slacking, he's going to let you know," Glaze said. "He wants it to be hard so when you get to game time it's easier for us."

Special teams coordinator Joe Decamillis likened Kubiak's seriousness to a lawyer -- he's strictly business and gets straight to the point. Running back coach Omar Young mentioned Kubiak holds the coaching staff accountable just as much as the players.

Young said Kubiak emphasized to his staff the importance of focusing on the little things and making sure they don't slip up.

"I mean, that dude is like a machine," Young said. "To have a leader like him is really special, and I'm fortunate to be able to be with him because he's helped me grow as a coach."

The details matter for Kubiak. He doesn't want to leave any stones unturned.

Rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza said players can be torn apart in the film room because of the smallest detail.

"When you thought that was a great ball, it's really a 50/50 ball because you didn't throw in the correct timing," Mendoza said. "Being able to learn from that and have, honestly, frustrations with my own play has helped my growth."

Crosby said Kubiak and the rest of the coaching staff are intentional with everything that they do. He mentioned that they are trying to get things done the right way and establish a foundation for how they want this organization to operate. "When the season comes, we're not out there making s--- up," Crosby said.

Through Kubiak's coaching, safety Jeremy Chinn has already seen improvement from last season in terms of how the Raiders look in practice. "It's almost, not embarrassing in a way, but it's like we're so much better now [when] looking at certain things from last year," he explained.

Kubiak has created an environment that is not laid back, by any means. Cousins said the team is not just going out there to have fun. Before the start of practice, he notices players focused in the locker room, going over stuff multiple times because they don't want to make a mental error.

Kubiak runs a tight ship, Cousins said. The intensity has cranked up a notch. But the players believe Kubiak's coaching style is necessary for them to move in the right direction.

"I think that's a really positive thing, but it's not a country club," Cousins said.br/]