The Las Vegas Raiders have a brand-new head coach—one who arrives fresh off a Super Bowl victory. Klint Kubiak has officially been introduced as the leader of the AFC West franchise, and upon his arrival, he delivered a clear message to team stars Maxx Crosby and Ashton Jeanty about the future of the organization.
Kubiak comes to Las Vegas after winning Super Bowl LX with the Seattle Seahawks, and now faces a much bigger challenge. He will be tasked with reviving a Raiders team that has struggled for years to establish itself as a consistent contender.
One of Kubiak’s biggest priorities is addressing Maxx Crosby’s future. The star pass rusher has been the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason, and the new head coach was quick to weigh in on those reports.
Klint Kubiak gets candid on Maxx Crosby and Ashton Jeanty’s roles
In recent days, multiple reports suggested the Raiders could be open to listening to trade offers for Crosby. However, it is safe to say that Kubiak does not share that view, making it clear that he sees the All-Pro pass rusher as a cornerstone of the franchise moving forward.
“I got to drink a cup of coffee with Maxx this morning,” Kubiak said. “Loved talking ball with him and looking forward to continuing those conversations. He was the first one in here this morning working out. So, that fired me up.
“We want him to be a part of our success going forward — there’s no doubt about that,” Kubiak added. “And he’s one of the best players in the NFL. So, that’s a no-brainer, to get to work with Maxx and to see him continue to have success with this organization.”
As for Ashton Jeanty, expectations were sky-high entering his rookie season. While his debut campaign did not fully live up to the hype—largely due to the lack of a reliable offensive line—Kubiak remains confident in the young running back’s talent.
“Very excited about his talent, but what I would tell him and all his teammates is it’s not about one guy,” Kubiak said. “We gotta get the line on the same page, we gotta get our QB to get the right run checks, we gotta get our receivers to block for him, so we can get the play-action going. As soon as our players can realize it’s a team thing, not an individual thing, we will be successful.”