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(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

New Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak is making it clear he plans to run things his way and establish his own culture from the start. That approach recently came to light when photos surfaced of Raiders players practicing without the team’s shield logo on their helmets on the first day of veteran minicamp.

It sends a clear message: Under Kubiak, that shield isn’t just given, it has to be earned. Moreover, this approach only works if players, especially the veterans and stars on the team, buy into it.

One of the players who’s totally into this culture setting approach is running back Ashton Jeanty. During a livestream on his YouTube channel on April 28, Jeanty shared his thoughts on players needing to earn the shield on their helmets.

“I’m not opposed to this because we haven’t really done anything,” Jeanty said. “We’ve got to earn it. We’ve got to earn this year, this season; we’ve got to earn that shield. In life, everything is really earned, not given. That’s his mindset. We feel we’ve got to earn everything.”

Derek Carr Approves of Klint Kubiak’s Helmet Approach

Moreover, this decision by the coach is being praised by former Raiders QB Derek Carr, who says he doesn’t want this to be a one-off year in which Kubiak does this.

“I love what I’m about to say,” Carr said in an April 23 video from “Home Grown with David & Derek Carr.” “Klint took all the Raider shields off the helmet… Hey, you want to know why? Because every year in the NFL, you have to earn it. I hope he does it every year.”

Moreover, with Kubiak coming off a Super Bowl win as the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, players should be more than willing to buy into this culture, given that it’s led to success.

Raiders Bolster Running Back Room This Offseason

The Raiders also added to their running back group on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting former Arkansas Razorbacks standout Mike Washington Jr. with the 122nd overall pick in the fourth round.

Las Vegas already has Ashton Jeanty, a Top 10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Still, first-year head coach Klint Kubiak appears to be building toward a two-back system similar to the one he used with the Seahawks, where Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet shared the workload.

On April 28, Jeanty shared his thoughts on Washington coming in to help him with the workload this upcoming 2026 NFL season.

“I feel good about Mike Washington,“ Jeanty said during a livestream on his YouTube channel. “I think our run styles will definitely complement each other. I’m excited for when he gets in the building. We can build this rushing attack and do something special.”

After the Raiders made the pick, Washington spoke with the local media in Vegas and shared his thoughts on being Jeanty’s partner in the running game this upcoming 2026 season.

“I’m super excited to get rolling with him,“ Washington said on April 25. “All I could think of is thunder and lightning, so I’m super excited to be the one-two punch with him and to really, like I said before, be a sponge and learn from him at the same time.”