TheLas Vegas Raiders wrapped up mandatory minicamp this week, with a new coaching staff, a revamped roster, and a sense that progress is finally taking shape. However,Klint Kubiak is not interested in spring victories.
For the first-year head coach, the next 40 days could tell him more about his team than anything that happened on the practice field. Once players leave the building, accountability becomes personal.
Klint Kubiak Says Raiders Players Can Undo Months Of Work During Summer Break
Feb 10, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders coach Klint Kubiak speaks at introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Speaking on June 20, 2026, Kubiak alluded that the stretch between June and training camp is a test every NFL player takes on their own. Coaches can install schemes. Strength staff can build programs. None of that matters if players return out of shape when camp opens in late July.
Kubiak believes the Raiders are built differently. Part of that confidence comes from the front office. General manager John Spytek spent the offseason reshaping the roster, adding veterans and rookies the organization believes fit its culture.
Now comes the part nobody sees.
“You can ruin an offseason with 40 days away.
If you go post up on the couch, all that work is for naught. 40 days away, you got to be really self-motivated. We’re not going to be with them every day, but we’ll be in contact with them.
That’s where, to me, John Spytek, his job comes into play, because he brought in a lot of quality individuals that are self-motivated. If you don’t have self-motivated guys, you have no idea what’s coming once they come into training camp.”
"You can ruin an offseason with 40 days away."
With his team away for the summer, new #Raiders HC Klint Kubiak is "really confident that we have a self-motivated group."
"If you go post up on the couch, all that work is for naught. 40 days away, you got to be really… pic.twitter.com/dnKKPjGiv1
— Nick Walters (@nickwalt) June 20, 2026
The message fits with the tone Kubiak has set since arriving in Las Vegas. Players have repeatedly described the new environment as demanding, detailed, and centered entirely on football.
That standard extends beyond practice hours. Several players are expected to stay in Nevada during the break and continue using the team’s training facilities. Others will follow individualized plans away from the building.
Either way, the expectation doesn’t change. The Raiders have more than 30 rookies on their offseason roster and a new system to learn on both sides of the ball. Training camp will reveal whether the habits built this spring can survive six weeks without coaches watching every rep.