5 takeaways from the Raiders' 2026 schedule
Raiders.com • • sports
Key Points:
- The Las Vegas Raiders will not appear in any primetime games for the first time since 2010 and have been excluded from international games for the seventh consecutive season, which many fans view as disrespectful.
- The Raiders, coming off a 3-14 season and holding the No. 1 overall draft pick, may benefit from a lower-profile schedule as they rebuild under new management and coaching staff.
- Rookie quarterback and top draft pick Fernando Mendoza's playing time remains uncertain, with coach Klint Kubiak indicating a preference for him to learn behind veteran Kirk Cousins initially.
- The Raiders face a challenging schedule with multiple early road games, a late bye week in Week 13, and cold-weather matchups in November and late December.
- A bold prediction suggests the Raiders will at least match their previous season's three wins before the Week 13 bye, with potential victories early and late in the season possibly involving Mendoza.