Key Takeaways
- The Raiders have the sixth-youngest roster in the NFL, according to data from NFL commentator Ian Hartitz.
- Average age: 25.73 years old. The defense averages 25.46, ranking as the third youngest in the league, while the offense sits at 26.00.
- Veterans like Kirk Cousins and Taron Johnson are the exceptions, not the rule, on this roster.
- Klint Kubiak is not trying to win now. He is focused on identifying who can win later.
The News
The 2025 Raiders finished 3-14. That is not a record that gets fixed in a single offseason, no matter how loud the free agency spending sounds. The leadership in Las Vegas knows this.
According to data posted by NFL commentator Ian Hartitz, Las Vegas enters 2026 with the sixth-youngest roster in the league. With an average age of 25.73, the blueprint is clear. To put that in context: the defense averages 25.46 years old, ranking third youngest in the NFL, while the offense averages 26.00.
These numbers are not accidents. They are the result of an offseason that prioritized long-term value over short-term patches. The roster was intentionally remade with youth in mind, even as key veterans like Kirk Cousins and Taron Johnson were brought in to mentor the young core.
Last year was a different story. Pete Carroll played Tyler Lockett over rookie wideouts and started Alex Cappa over Jackson Powers-Johnson. The result was a team of veterans who were not good enough to move the needle, while young players never received the snaps necessary to prove their worth.
Klint Kubiak is not repeating that mistake. He wants to evaluate two full draft classes through real playing time. That assessment cannot happen if the roster is too old to grant the necessary opportunities.
Beyond Cousins and Johnson, the offseason additions speak for themselves: Tyler Linderbaum, Kwity Paye, Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean, and Jalen Nailor. This is coupled with a 10-man draft class headlined by Fernando Mendoza.
This is a rebuild. The win-loss record may not look pretty in 2026, but by the end of the season, the Raiders will know exactly who constitutes their foundation.
WALK THE PLANK
The goal for 2026 is not the playoffs. Let’s be honest about that.
When a team finishes tied for the worst record in the league, brings in a new head coach, drafts a 22-year-old quarterback first overall, and maintains the sixth-youngest roster in the NFL, the plan is not hidden. It is written in the numbers.
John Spytek has been clear: he builds boards objectively. He does not inflate value simply because a position needs help, and he targets players whose best football is still ahead of them. That is exactly what a 25.73 average age looks like in practice.
The veterans on this team are not here to win games in September. They are here to help the kids grow. Cousins mentoring Mendoza is the perfect example. Cousins is not the future; he is a bridge.
Sometimes the hardest thing for a fan base to accept is that a 3-14 team in the middle of a rebuild is not “one player away.” The Raiders are not one player away. They are a roster evaluation away.
Klint Kubiak knows it. The front office knows it. The kids on this team are about to get a chance they never would have seen under the previous regime.
Watch and learn. That is the 2026 plan.
