Klint Kubiak appears to have solved the problem that sank previous Raiders coaches
Maxx Crosby described new Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak as calm to the point of monotone during an appearance on the Ball in the Family Podcast with Lonzo and Gelo Ball, then used the rest of the answer to explain what he actually values about the man now running the building.
“Coach Kubiak is like, if you talk to him, he’s like monotone. He’s super calm, everything’s super chill, but like he’s all about ball,” Crosby said. “He keeps it black and white. He don’t give a [expletive] who he’s calling out. We’re in a meeting, he’ll call me out just like he’ll call the practice squad guy out. And that’s something I appreciate. You want that, and you know it sucks in the moment, but ultimately, that’s going to get the best version of yourself.”
He is the highest-paid and most visible player on the roster, and he is the one with the standing to bristle at being corrected in front of a full meeting room, which is usually where a first-year coach’s standard quietly dies.
Why consistency plays well after five years of Raiders turnover
Kubiak is the fourth full-time head coach Las Vegas has hired since Jon Gruden left in 2021. He arrived in February after coordinating the Seattle offense that beat New England 29-13 in Super Bowl LX, and he inherited a roster that won seven games across the last two seasons and finished 3-14 in 2025.
Four coaches in five years tends to produce a locker room that treats every new voice as temporary, so a message that lands the same way on a star and a camp body is a reasonable place for Kubiak to start.
He has been saying versions of it publicly since spring. “It’s just important that we’re all held accountable. We know what the standard is,” Kubiak said as minicamp closed in June.
🚨🚨 Raiders star Maxx Crosby had high praise for new head coach Klint Kubiak, applauding his calm demeanor and straightforward leadership style.
Crosby said Kubiak holds every player to the same standard, calling out veterans and practice squad players alike when necessary.…
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) August 5, 2026
Crosby has backed the words with reps. Kubiak said the edge rusher would take every first-team snap on the opening day of camp, seven months removed from surgery to repair a torn meniscus, and by the second padded practice Crosby was routinely in the backfield against quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Kubiak has been open about how that experience goes for the offense.
“I know when we line up there in the team period, he could just ruin a play at any moment in a good way for the Raiders. So, it’s not just installing plays; it’s you’re also installing plays, and, ‘Oh, by the way, where’s Maxx?’ Those are things normally you think about in a game plan situation; sometimes you’ve got to game plan practices just to get a play off.” Kubiak told reporters.
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Could it have been the same approach if it were to be Manchester City? I doubt it