Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak has chosen to promote Rob Leonard to the position of defensive coordinator. This decision, made on Sunday, continues the trend set by Kubiak”s predecessors of looking within the current staff for leadership roles.
Leonard has served as the defensive line coach for the past three seasons and took on additional responsibilities as the run game coordinator in 2025 while working under former coach Pete Carroll. During his tenure, Leonard has been part of a defensive unit that has shown promise, allowing only 3.9 yards per rush last season, which ranked second in the NFL. Furthermore, the Raiders recorded 105 tackles for loss, landing them third in the league in that category.
With Kubiak”s appointment, the Raiders are also looking to strengthen their relationship with star pass rusher Maxx Crosby. Tensions had risen between Crosby and the organization after he was placed on injured reserve due to a knee injury with just two games remaining in the previous season. Following this announcement, Crosby left the team facility, raising concerns about his future with the team. Although he recently clarified on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” that any trade speculation was not initiated by him, he did not dismiss the rumors entirely while appearing in Raiders gear from the team facility.
Despite the issues faced, Leonard”s defensive strategies will be pivotal as the Raiders aim for improvement. Last season, the team struggled in run defense, allowing 116.8 yards per game, partly due to their defense being overworked. They ranked last in the league for average time of possession at 28:02, which contributed to the fatigue experienced by the defense.
As Kubiak continues to build his coaching staff, the next significant hire will be for the offensive coordinator position. Unlike the defense, where Leonard will have full control, Kubiak intends to handle the offensive play-calling himself, leveraging his experience as the play caller for the Seattle Seahawks” Super Bowl-winning squad.
