Presented by

4 takeaways from John Spytek and Brian Stark's Tuesday press conference

Sep 01, 2026 at 05:14 PM

Digital Team Reporter

Raiders general manager John Spytek and assistant general manager Brian Stark addressed the media Tuesday after shaping the team's 53-man roster.

Needless to say, it was a strenuous process with thousands of hours of scouting and evaluating.

And there's still more work to be done.

"We made a lot of hard choices," Spytek said, "and we've got a long way to go, a lot of work to do with a young roster. But I think we're all excited to go over the next week and a half and get a chance to play the Dolphins."

Quarterback trio

Spytek addressed the decision to keep three quarterbacks on the active roster with Kirk Cousins, Fernando Mendoza and Aidan O'Connell.

Having three or more quarterbacks on a 53-man roster has become more rare since the league introduced the emergency third quarterback rule in 2023. But it didn't affect his or Kubiak's opinion on keeping the two veterans and Mendoza.

"No. 1, I think they all earned it. I also don't think you can have enough good quarterbacks," the GM said. "We obviously have a lot faith in Kirk and Fernando's the No. 1 pick. Aidan's played some really good football at times over his career here and I thought he really took a step forward in OTAs and given his opportunities in the preseason, he was really good."

Related Links

Through the wire

Cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. was the lone player the Raiders claimed off waivers with the top claim spot.

He appeared in 27 games for the San Francisco 49ers and is expected to play a factor in multiple phases of the game.

"Darrell's a good football player," Stark said. "He's played quality regular season snaps. He's a good special teams player. We just saw the opportunity to add a player that's got a little bit of experience to him to that room."

Rushing forward

Ashton Jeanty, who hasn't practiced since going down in the final week of preseason practice, made the 53-man roster without being placed on injured reserve – a sign of confidence in it's own right. However the team is still monitoring his situation in hopes of getting him back on the field promptly.

"I think he's in a good spot," Spytek said. "We see him every day, he's working really hard. ... I think he attacks everything with a great mindset and I don't think this will be any different for him. I expect him to be back as quick as he can, maybe quicker than some people would've expect. When that is, we'll see. But I think he's in a good spot."

As Jeanty continues to be "on the mend," the team got high productivity out of 2026 fourth-rounder Mike Washington Jr. The rookie led the AFC in rushing yards (168) in the preseason while averaging 7.3 yards a carry. Per Spytek, Washington was a player Kubiak "stood on the table for" on Day 3 of the Draft.

"This is the perfect scheme fit and we can make this player into a good player, he has what we're looking for," Spytek said, relaying what Kubiak told the draft room.

"It's hard for any rookie to really carve out meaningful minutes and be as productive as you want them to be," he added. "And Mike certainly had a great preseason, nobody's taken that away from him, but it gets very real, very fast here now. But I think we're all excited about the track that Mike is on, and I think we have an expectation that he's going to help us win football games this year."

Unsung heroes

Spytek and Stark identified two pleasant surprises who carved roles for themselves throughout training camp: defensive lineman Patrick Johnson and Tonka Hemingway.

Johnson signed to the roster the day before veterans reported to camp, venturing to Las Vegas after playing for the Philadelphia Eagles for over four seasons. He was a preseason standout with two quarterback sacks, four tackles for loss and a forced fumble. And with Keyron Crawford being placed on IR, Johnson could see added reps in the regular season.

"Credit to our pro department for setting up that workout and bringing in quality guys like him," Spytek said of Johnson. "We had followed Patrick for many years with his career in Philadelphia and respected the kind of player and teammate and special teams player he is. But every day he showed up and worked and he got better and better."

Hemingway, a second-year defensive tackle, is expected to make a big leap. After winning the team's strength training award this offseason, he's been a constant within the first-team defense throughout camp.

"Tireless worker, very committed, had an excellent offseason," Stark said. "Has worked himself into a spot where he's got a chance to start. ... I think Tonka's a good example of someone who kind of matched every expectation you kind of had for him, and exceeded some."

1 / 141

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) before practice at 2026 Training Camp at Intermountain Health Performance Center.