Key Takeaways
- The Raiders will hold joint training camp practices with the Houston Texans in August, according to the Houston Chronicle. This marks Klint Kubiak’s first training camp as head coach.
- The timing aligns with the preseason schedule: The Raiders face Houston in Week 2 of the preseason on August 2.
- A compelling family connection exists: Kubiak will be working at the facility where his father, Gary Kubiak, launched his head coaching career. Houston is also Gary Kubiak’s hometown.
- Joint practices are standard for teams with new coaching regimes, providing young rosters critical live competition before preseason games begin.
The News
Klint Kubiak’s inaugural training camp as head coach will include a significant road trip.
The Raiders are set to travel to Houston for joint practices with the Texans in August, per the Houston Chronicle. The timing is deliberate. Kubiak’s father, Gary Kubiak, began his head coaching tenure in Houston. The city is also his hometown. The son will now launch his own head coaching journey in the same building, facing a Texans organization that is also deep into its own rebuild.
The Raiders and Texans are scheduled to play their second preseason game on August 2 in Houston. These joint practices provide both teams with valuable live work against unfamiliar schemes before the actual game, which is the primary purpose of these sessions. Teams leverage joint practices to evaluate depth without burning roster spots and to expose players to different styles of competition than what their own scout team can replicate.
For Kubiak, this is an ideal start. He is taking over a team that went 3-14, drafted its quarterback first overall, and has a roster full of players still absorbing a new system. Extra days of work against an opponent cannot be replicated in standard practice. You cannot simulate a real NFL player across from you in a walkthrough.
The Raiders’ full preseason slate includes home games against Arizona in Week 1 and San Francisco in Week 3. There is a possibility the team may hold a joint practice with one of those opponents at their Henderson facility as well, though nothing has been confirmed.
WALK THE PLANK
Joint practices are the most underrated component of training camp. Fans focus on the games, but the real evaluation happens in the days leading up to them, when your offense faces a different defense and your coaching staff gets to see how players react to schemes they have not encountered in OTAs.
Klint Kubiak is entering his first head coaching role with a team that needs as many quality reps as possible. Fernando Mendoza is adjusting to NFL speed, the offensive line is still being configured, and the secondary has new personnel. Joint practices give those players something live to work against that cannot be simulated internally.
The family connection adds a layer of significance. Gary Kubiak coached the Broncos to a Super Bowl victory and spent decades as a head coach and assistant in this league. His son is now carrying that playbook to Nevada, and this Houston trip brings him back to where his father’s head coaching legacy began.
That is not a storyline the Raiders needed to manufacture. But it is one that will not go unnoticed when camp opens.
