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Articles by Paul Gutierrez
Why AJ Cole remains one of the Raiders' most valuable weapons
AJ Cole was born to be a Raiders specialist. Literally and figuratively. Cole entered this world on Nov. 27, 1995, a day when football fans watched the Raiders play the defending AFC champion Chargers in a special teams extravaganza on Monday Night Football. A total of six field goals were kicked that evening at San Diego's Jack Murphy Stadium, along with a combined eight punts, as Frank Gifford, Al Michaels and Dan Dierdorf called the action in the Raiders’ 12-6 loss.
1976 Unsung Hero: John Vella
Throughout the 2026 season, Raiders.com is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the team's Super Bowl XI Championship by highlighting unsung heroes from the 1976 team along with thrilling moments and untold stories of a campaign that will go down in history as among the greatest in the annals of professional football. When John Vella walked into the Raiders locker room as a second-round draft pick out of USC in 1972, he entered a realm filled with future Hall of Fame offensive linemen. Art Shell.
Gutierrez: The Raiders need more than flashes, they need consistency
Who, exactly, are the Raiders seven games into their first season under rookie coach Klint Kubiak? The Raiders were a feel-good story in the NFL with their 3-0 start, equaling their win record of a year ago after just three games. The Raiders are now a quizzical bunch riding a four-game losing streak with Sunday's 35-21 loss to the Rams, leaving in their wake a bemused if oft-confused fan base. At times, the Raiders flash, throwing scares into the hearts of AFC elites like the Chiefs and Bills.
Why the Raiders should keep looking Tre Tucker's way
"Professional football has a maxim of take what they give you. We have always operated under a different philosophy of take what we want…we were going deep and you had to prove, during the game, that you could stop us." - Al Davis on the Raiders' vertical offensive game Yeah, you can teach someone how to catch a football. But you cannot teach speed. And when it comes to Tre Tucker, it is the Raiders wideout who continually puts on a clinic…in both endeavors.
Dylan Laube is turning special teams success into a larger role
As easy as it would be to say that flashbacks of his football life filled his head Sunday as he approached the New England goal line and broke its plane for his first career touchdown, it would also be wrong. Dylan Laube's mind was clear. "It didn't really hit me until the end of the game, really," Laube told me during an interview on the Raiders Podcast Network. "Really, ultimately, after the game when I was with my family and friends and stuff like that.
1976 Unsung Hero: Neal Colzie
Throughout the 2026 season, Raiders.com is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the team's Super Bowl XI Championship by highlighting unsung heroes from the 1976 team along with thrilling moments and untold stories of a campaign that will go down in history as among the greatest in the annals of professional football. Neal Colzie was down. Literally and figuratively.
Gutierrez: Fernando Mendoza's debut offered experience, if not much opportunity
Fernando Mendoza - in case you had already switched the channel, and given the state of the game at the time, no one could truly blame you had you taken the dog for a walk - made his NFL debut Sunday. With just over 6 minutes to play, in New England. Trailing by 28 points, in the rain. And with a slew of backup skill-position players joining him on the Raiders offense giving it all a certain exhibition game feel. But this was real and, no, the No. 1 draft pick was not put in a position to succeed.
Gutierrez: The Raiders proved they belong, even in defeat
They spoke in hushed tones in their locker room in the minutes after the Raiders fell to an ancient rival in a game that was as white-knuckle as it was heart-breaking. Look, this was a new feeling for this particular band of Raiders in that the 30-27 loss to the visiting Chiefs was their first defeat after starting out 3-0. So with every game in an NFL season a season unto itself, there was a lot of self-introspection going on. But no finger-pointing.
'Anything is possible': Inspired by Hispanic trailblazers Tom Flores and Jim Plunkett, Raiders QBs coach Mike Sullivan comes full circle
Growing up in the 1980s in Lompoc, Calif., some 150 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Mike Sullivan felt a certain kinship to the guys who wore Silver and Black and called the L.A. Memorial Coliseum home at the time. Especially for the duo holding the two most high-profile on-field jobs for the Raiders then - the coach and the quarterback. Tom Flores and Jim Plunkett.
1976 Unsung Hero: Tom Flores
Throughout the 2026 season, Raiders.com is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the team's Super Bowl XI Championship by highlighting unsung heroes from the 1976 team along with thrilling moments and untold stories of a campaign that will go down in history as among the greatest in the annals of professional football. How can a Hall of Fame coach, who was also the first quarterback in franchise history, serve as some sort of unsung hero?
Nakobe Dean's style of football makes him one of one
Nakobe Dean announced his arrival to Raiders training camp on social media by posting a pair of beat-up black Nike Air Force 1s on his IG feed, the left shoe tied, the right shoe, not so much. Message? "To put it in simple terms, it's a mindset thing," Dean told me Wednesday. "I like to attack the way I play the game. In the game we got now, they try to take a lot of the physical aspect away from the game in the NFL, with all the rules and everything.
Gutierrez: Sunday marked Cody White's arrival as an unexpected force for the Raiders
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Cody White is a superhero-kinda guy. "Star Wars, Revenge of the Sith," the newest Raiders receiver told me in the din of the Raiders' victorious locker room late Sunday afternoon. "I'll watch that the night before games. Or Spider-Man, the animated movie." Yes, there was both a tremor in the force at SoFi Stadium, Silver and Black-clad fans again staking claim on a capital city of Raider Nation, and Spidey senses tingling aplenty, given White's, yes, heroics. Two catches.
Treydan Stukes' improbable path pays off in Raiders debut
How does a guy who was a no-star recruit coming out of high school, who had more college scholarship offers for track (3) than football (0), who ended up walking on at Arizona before spending six years in Tucson thanks to COVID and an ACL injury, become a second-round draft pick and not only start his first-ever NFL game but come down with an interception in his debut? Introducing Raiders rookie free safety Treydan Stukes.
Gutierrez: One game doesn't mean everything, but it meant plenty for these Raiders
It was in Allegiant Stadium's southwest tunnel, on the way to the Raiders locker room, where the normally (choose one, or, actually, all of the above) stoic/stolid/stone-faced Klint Kubiak took flight. Yes, the Raiders rookie head coach, already in full sprint mode, excitedly lifted off to high-five fans stretching out their hands to celebrate the Raiders' season-opening 27-13 win over Dolphins.
Fifty years later, the memories remain: Raiders champions reunite to revisit Super Bowl XI
The fog of time was as thick as a Phil Villapiano forearm and hand pad. As goopy as the omnipresent Stickum on Fred Biletnikoff's uniform. As deep as Art Shell's voice. As intense as Monte Johnson's thousand-yard stare. Until it lifted. Slowly at first. Then, story by unfiltered story, 50 years melted completely away, and the scene was as clear in the Raiders Tavern & Grill at the M Resort Spa Casino last week as it was for the Silver and Black in 1976.
Recreating Greatness: Behind the scenes of the Raiders' Super Bowl XI play recreation
Kai Cypher had studied up on Fred Biletnikoff, sure. He got his uniform "fit" just right, mimicked his mannerisms, the way he ran, how he moved in space, copied his body language. But Cypher, a senior receiver at Arbor View High School, had never actually met the Raiders Hall of Famer…until after he portrayed Biletnikoff in a recreation of his 48-yard run and catch from Super Bowl XI at halftime of the Raiders' exhibition finale against the 49ers.
Gutierrez: The lessons, not the numbers, mattered for Fernando Mendoza
It was a throwback kinda night at Allegiant Stadium for the Raiders' exhibition finale - Wayne Crow, an original Raider who punted and played defensive back in the team's first two years of existence, lit the Al Davis Memorial Torch - so let's take it back to 1961. And let's quote the Shirelles when it comes to Fernando Mendoza and his performance against the 49ers. Because yes, mama said there'll be days like this, there'll be days like this, mama said.
Caleb Rogers elevating his game is just one part of the collective O-line lift
Caleb Rogers was thumbing through a printed-out bio of his college football-playing days at Texas Tech and he shook his head. Then Rogers shook his head some more. "It's funny," the Raiders second-year right guard told me on the most recent episode of Upon Further Review. "It's funny because it's too flattering. ... It's just kind of boosting my stats in an absurd way." And therein lies the rub for offensive linemen - stats? O-linemen don't need no stinkin' stats.
Gutierrez: Joint practices are the sweet spot – controlled chaos fueling real improvement
Kolton Miller has been through this rigmarole plenty of times before, and the message has always remained the same. Yes, even through the infamous fight-marred sessions of 2021 that ultimately ended two days of joint practices with the Rams early in Southern California. "You have to defend yourself, but you have to be smart," the Raiders ninth-year left tackle told me Monday, before boarding a plane headed to Houston for Tuesday's joint practice with the Texans. "Throwing punches is not smart.
Gutierrez: Fernando Mendoza delivers in his debut; the bigger test awaits
Kneejerk reaction to Fernando Mendoza's first action as a Raider? It will be great to see what he can do with the first-team offense. No, this is not a slam on the Raiders second-teamers. Far from it. Because while there were plenty of positives to glean from the No. 1 pick's NFL debut in Thursday night's 27-14 exhibition loss to the Cardinals - he was poised in the pocket, deftly looked downfield to take what was available to him, had immense trust in his arm - he did it all with backups. Obviously.
Gutierrez: Fernando Mendoza cumple en su debut; la prueba más difícil aún está por venir
¿Una reacción impulsiva ante la primera actuación de Fernando Mendoza como Raider? Será genial ver de qué es capaz con la ofensiva del primer equipo. No, esto no es una crítica a los jugadores del segundo equipo de los Raiders. Ni mucho menos.
Dalton Johnson is turning camp reps into real momentum
Pick, or stick? Stick, or pick? As a safety, Dalton Johnson had a choice to make when I asked him what was more satisfying - getting an interception, or sticking a ball carrier or receiver with a hard hit and tackle. The Raiders rookie paused. "Two years ago, I would have set the stick," Johnson told me on Upon Further Review. "But I'm gonna say the pick. You know, the turnovers pay." In more ways than one.
Mark Davis sees momentum building under Spytek and Kubiak, eyes growth from second‑ and third‑year core
The memories, they can flow easily but Mark Davis is more concerned with the present. Indeed, there are flashbacks for the Raiders owner, as a 13-year-old training camp ballboy, paying his dues to the fearsome likes of Ben Davidson, Tom Keating, Carleton Oats and Harry Schuh in the late 1960s at the iconic El Rancho Tropicana in Santa Rosa, Calif. Davis called it his "indoctrination" into the Raiders.
How receiver instincts are accelerating cornerback Hezekiah Masses' transition to the pros
The conversation, Hezekiah Masses remembered, was a tough one. It was also necessary for his future. Entering his senior year at Deerfield Beach High School in South Florida, Masses had been a lithe-if-speedy receiver with game-breaking potential. But now his coach wanted him to make a position switch? Make it make sense. "Zeke, you're long, lengthy," Jevon Glenn told Masses. "You should switch to corner." Masses was nonplussed. "Man, I don't know about that," Masses replied.
Kansei Matsuzawa's Raiders story started in the stands. Now it's unfolding on the field
Kansei Matsuzawa put an exclamation point, or two, on mandatory minicamp in early June by drilling a pair of 60-yard field goals into the pool at the Raiders facility. Yes, into the drink. With ease, for a guy who purportedly lacked the big leg for such big kicks.
Gutierrez: Kirk Cousins opening camp as QB1 isn't a surprise, but the logical extension of Kubiak's plan
"When we get out to practice tomorrow, Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback. He's the guy and he's going to get a ton of reps. He deserves them because he's played really good football. But I want Fernando [Mendoza] and I want Aidan [O'Connell] to push him." - Raiders coach Klint Kubiak, on the eve of training camp. Surprised by 15th-year veteran Kirk Cousins being named the first-string QB over No. 1 draft pick Fernando Mendoza entering camp? You shouldn't be. Not if you've been paying attention.
Camp is about more than reps for Keyron Crawford, it's about showing his relentlessness
Keyron Crawford had just departed the Raiders interview room at the Combine when Raiders assistant general manager Brian Stark turned to general manager John Spytek and unfurled a huge grin. Then he made a "heart" sign with his hands. "I love him," Stark said, as captured on episode 1 of this season's "Behind the Shield" series.
Fernando Mendoza enters first training camp ready to learn, listen and lean into the grind
The ink on Fernando Mendoza's signature for his rookie contract was barely dry and the the No. 1 overall draft pick was already on to the next task at hand. Competition. Sure, Mendoza, who signed his deal on Thursday, rolls into Raiders training camp next week with a Heisman Trophy, his draft status and the hopes of an entire (Raider) Nation in his back pocket. But nothing is guaranteed. And that's exactly how Mendoza wants it. That's how he should want it. Accolades or not.
Mike McCoy's experience a valuable asset as Raiders map out QB plan
Few, if any, NFL franchises celebrate their alumni like the Raiders. And few, if any, Raiders are more revered than the late, great godfather of the bump-and-run Willie Brown. So yeah, Mike McCoy, the Raiders' first-year assistant head coach, may have felt dipped in both irony and nostalgia (not necessarily in that order) when he slipped on his first piece of Silver and Black swag this spring.
Kwity Paye brings 'beautiful chaos' and a new edge to the Raiders defense
Kwity Paye is the Raiders' Renaissance man. An oft-terrifying edge rusher who belies his ability to disrupt a game with an eye for fits and pics, fashion and photography.
Gutierrez: 3 storylines to follow for Raiders minicamp
The Raiders are under new management, so to speak, and begin a three-day mandatory minicamp at team headquarters on Tuesday. As such, questions abound and while answers will be few and far between this week - the fog will start to lift come training camp and the preseason in August - here are three topics sure to get chins (no relation to Raiders safety Jeremy) wagging throughout the week. QB Battle, what QB Battle?
After a rookie year spent learning the league, Ashton Jeanty now becomes the steady anchor of the Raiders backfield
It wasn't that long ago when Ashton Jeanty was the new kid on the block. A Silver Surfer, so to speak, still getting his sea legs. Now? The second-year running back is the vet in the Raiders offensive backfield, what with a pair of new quarterbacks in Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza and a new yin to his yang in fourth-round draft pick Mike Washington, Jr. Fast times for a guy who is just starting to see the NFL game slow down.
Silver & Black Gala unites stars, alumni and community to support Nevada mental health initiatives
Carl Nassib did not recognize the number on his cell phone when it came to life in 2021. Without a spam filter, he answered it. On the other end of the line was Sir Elton John. "He called to congratulate me on coming out," Nassib, the first openly gay active player in NFL history, said. "And he offered his support." It was a similar tale from NFL insider Jay Glazer, who spoke of Raiders Hall of Famer Howie Long being his "lifeline" in the angst-filled seconds before going live on television.
Gutierrez: A first-time OC, Andrew Janocko comes to the Raiders with history in mind
Andrew Janocko is a Pittsburgh guy, through and through, a guy who's more than cognizant of history. Having grown up a two-hour drive from where Three Rivers Stadium once stood, next to where Acrisure Stadium now lords over the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers, is one thing. Playing his college ball at Pitt, and being part of the Panther quarterback pantheon with the likes of Dan Marino, Matt Cavanaugh and Kenny Pickett, well, that's another.
5 takeaways from the Raiders' 2026 schedule
Wow! Just...wow! Ok now, put away your torches and pitchforks and halt your march to the NFL's schedule makers' domain and hear me out for a second. The Raiders not appearing in ANY primetime games this coming season for the first time since 2010 (barring any flexing), let alone being skipped over for an international game for the seventh straight season (the longest such streak in the NFL), is nasty work. And no holiday games? Insulting. Disrespectful, even.
Raiders Owner Mark Davis inducted into Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame, where Vegas sporting history and its future converged
Mark Davis called it a "full-circle moment" for himself. Being inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame not only brought back memories for the Raiders owner, from family summer trips to Las Vegas when he was a younger man (who could forget Strip staples Jimmy Durante, Cher and Don Rickles?) to taking in a title fight at the old Convention Center (the unforgettable Muhammad Ali-Jerry Quarry rematch that had just as many fists flying in the stands as in the ring).
Raiders' legacy well‑represented as Hispanic Football Hall of Fame inducts first class
It was a night of immense pride and cultural significance. Of representation and belonging. Inclusion and perseverance. The inaugural Hispanic Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 was inducted in a Celebración de Fútbol ceremony at the Raiders' indoor facility Tuesday night and, when it came to the home team, the entire affair had a certain Silver and Black vibe to it.
Gutierrez: Accolades aside, Fernando Mendoza is still just one of the guys
Since December, Fernando Mendoza has won a Heisman Trophy. He also led Indiana to a 16-0 national championship season. And he was the NFL's No. 1 draft pick, courtesy of the Raiders. But after Day 2 of rookie minicamp, one thing became increasingly clear - Mendoza is just one of the guys. With a quirky and endearing sense of humor quickly picked up on by his teammates. Yes, despite the haughty accolades that could have him on a different plane.
Gutierrez: Raiders' past meets future as Tom Flores passes No. 15 torch to Fernando Mendoza
The voice on the other end of the phone was strong, and excited. Tom Flores, the Raiders' Hall of Fame coach and the first quarterback in franchise history, had something to say. Because after hearing Fernando Mendoza's claim that he wasn't sure if he had "earned" the right to wear his jersey No. 15 with the Raiders, the same digits Flores wore in the early days of the AFL, Flores cleared his throat. Yes, the 89-year-old Flores told me, Mendoza had his blessing.
Gutierrez: The Raiders didn't overthink it — Fernando Mendoza was always their guy
A calm, almost a sense of relief, exuded from John Spytek after he turned in the Raiders' draft card, making Fernando Mendoza the No. 1 pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. A fait accompli? Maybe. The worst kept draft decision secret in the NFL? Meh. Minutes after selecting Mendoza, the Raiders' second-year general manager joined me on the balcony overlooking the team's indoor practice field to discuss the pick.
Remembering Raiders linebacker Rod Martin
Rod Martin was always there. The late Raiders linebacker, who passed away Monday at the age of 72, not only had a front-row seat to some of the biggest moments in team history, he also played a major part in them. He was an encyclopedia of knowledge in all things Silver and Black from his time with the organization, an integral source who witnessed, experienced and, yes, authored said moments. Above all, he was a gentleman who always had time to chat and chop it up.
Paul Gutierrez's 7-round 2026 Raiders mock draft
Editor's note: The views and opinions expressed in the article below are those of the Raiders.com editorial staff and contributors and do not represent the official positions of the Raiders' football personnel or the organization. Mock drafts are like excuses…everyone has one. And everyone has an excuse when their mock draft goes, well, sideways. So, with my full chest, I'm proud to announce I "earned" a grade of A- for my work on Pro Football Network's mock draft simulator.
Gutierrez: Can you smell what Spytek is cooking?
Like Bobby Brady (no relation to Tom) leaving a trail of popcorn while returning a taboo tiki idol to a Hawaiian burial ground cave in 1972, Raiders General Manager John Spytek has been leaving breadcrumbs for Raider Nation to follow this entire offseason. And it has nothing to do with Chef Spy absolutely cooking in free agency, or his recipe for offseason success. Or did you miss the Super (Bowl) hints about a new head coach in Klint Kubiak?
Gutierrez: Kirk Cousins signing has Rich Gannon seeing a clear Raiders blueprint
Kirk Cousins has more than a fan in Rich Gannon. The four-time Pro Bowler, two-time First-Team All-Pro and 2002 NFL MVP also sees a certain plan in place when it comes to Cousins signing with his old team. Even if there is some Silver and Black nebulousness regarding Cousinsâ role with the Raiders after the upcoming draft. After all, the Raiders hold the No. 1 pick and are expected to select a guy who plays the same position. A guy who just won the Heisman Trophy and the National Championship.
Mark Davis reflects on Raiders' busy offseason as franchise enters new era
PHOENIX - One of the busier Annual League Meetings in recent memory was winding to a close Tuesday afternoon and you could almost hear Mark Davis exhale. Almost. The Raiders owner had just left a meeting at the Arizona Biltmore Resort in which the teamâs succession plan had been approved, a day after Las Vegas was awarded Super Bowl LXIII. A breath of fresh air? More like a matter-of-fact procedural inhale.
Gutierrez: Pairing a young QB with an experienced mentor seems to be the direction the Raiders are heading
PHOENIX - Letâs start to put some pieces together, shall we? Yes, the Raiders hold the No. 1 overall draft pick, and theyâve been heavily linked to Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza. Plus, the Raiders currently have only one quarterback on the roster, and Aidan OâConnell has started 17 times in three seasons. So, what is first-year coach Klint Kubiakâs philosophy when it comes to a young QB, should the Raiders (wink, wink; nudge, nudge) draft one but still need a veteran in the room?
Gutierrez: After a statement free agency, Spytek faces the draft that matters most
PHOENIX - A general managerâs job, to borrow a phrase, is never done. Not even when, by all accounts, said GM absolutely cooked in free agency. But definitely not when thereâs still meat left on the bone. Just ask Raiders GM John Spytek, who has barely had a chance to enjoy the afterglow of free agency. After all, the calendar calls. âYeah, I like the draft way more than I like free agency,â Spytek told me with a laugh at the NFL Annual Meeting here at the Arizona Biltmore Resort.
Gutierrez: The Raiders are cooking in free agency — and Spytek's recipe starts with youth and grit
They encircled the perimeter of the cramped 30 by 40-foot press work room at Raiders HQ Thursday morning. There was General Manager John Spytek, who seemingly took off his Silver and Black chef hat and smock (go ahead, call him Guy Fieri because Spytek was absolutely cooking in the early waves of free agency), and had his personnel staff with him. And new coach Klint Kubiak and his entire coaching staff were also in the room where it happened, as was team president Sandra Douglass Morgan.
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