HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — They were introduced one by one, six ex-players who represent Raiders royalty. Four Hall of Famers. Five Super Bowl champions. All six at least made the big game.

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Three took seats to the left and the other three to the right before new Las Vegas coach Klint Kubiak was formally introduced Tuesday and sat with general manager John Spytek in the middle with the club’s three Lombardi Trophies in front of them.

Those players — Marcus Allen, Rich Gannon, Mike Haynes, Howie Long, Jim Plunkett and Charles Woodson — maintained serious looks on their faces as if kickoff was about to begin. And, in a sense, it was.

Their presence was a reminder of the daunting challenge Kubiak faces in trying to connect the present to the Raiders’ long-ago glorious past.

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The Raiders haven’t won a playoff game since their last Super Bowl appearance in the 2002 season. They have made the postseason just twice since, most recently in the 2021 season. Kubiak will be their fifth full-time coach since moving to Las Vegas in 2020.

“This is no ordinary job,” said Kubiak, just two days removed from serving as offensive coordinator on the Seahawks’ Super Bowl-championship team. “This is the silver and black. This is the Raiders. This is a historic franchise. So when the opportunity came up to stay in Seattle and continue there or to have a chance to come here and compete with this organization, it was a no-brainer.”

Kubiak acknowledged the task in front of him, but will take a day to bask in the Super Bowl parade on Wednesday in Seattle.

Then he will have a number of issues to confront, including hiring a coaching staff — most notably offensive and defensive coordinators. He also will begin to dig into what to do with the No. 1 overall draft pick the Raiders own, as well as the more than $91 million in salary-cap space, according to overthecap.com. And then there’s the Maxx Crosby situation.

Kubiak said he was just getting started when it comes to hiring his assistants as well as examining the roster needs. He stopped far short of saying the Raiders will draft Fernando Mendoza, even though it’s widely believed Las Vegas will take the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who guided Indiana to a highly unlikely national championship.

Owner Mark Davis watched Mendoza that night in Miami Gardens, Florida, and was joined by Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady. Davis hinted the organization was taking a strong look at Mendoza, and the Raiders preferred to hire a coach with an offensive background “that could grow with somebody.”

“It started being, in my mind, that’s the direction we wanted to go,” Davis said. “But at the same time, he had to win the job because there were some good candidates that we spoke to.”

One big selling point was Kubiak’s work with quarterback Sam Darnold.

Darnold completed 67.7% of his passes for 4,048 yards with 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions this season. Drafted third overall by the New York Jets in 2018, Darnold was considered a bust until leading Minnesota to a 14-win season in 2024. Then came another 14-win season with the Seahawks that culminated with Darnold hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

“I’m really proud of the process that we put in place,” Spytek said. “We set out to take our time, to be deliberate, to be meticulous, to find the right leader for this organization going forward. We have a uniquely challenging offseason with the first overall pick and new leadership with the head coach, but that’s why it was so important to us to find the right man to lead this organization forward.”

The elephant that wasn’t in the room during the presser was Crosby. Multiple reports have said the star pass rusher wants out of the Raiders after being sidelined the final two games this past season and that he also wasn’t interested in a rebuild.

But Crosby, even if he wasn’t in the team room for the news conference, was in the building and among the Raiders to greet Kubiak upon his arrival. They even had coffee together.

“We want him to be a part of our success going forward,” Kubiak said. “There’s no doubt about that. He’s one of the best players in the NFL, so that’s a no brainer to get to work with Maxx and see him continue to have success with this organization.”

Davis said he definitely wanted to keep Crosby in Las Vegas.

“Maxx has been a great, great Raider,” Davis said. “He is a great Raider.”

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SEATTLE — Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is set to bring the Super Bowl excitement back to the Emerald City with a unique celebration.

Fresh off the Seahawks’ Super Bowl LX victory in Santa Clara, Calif., Darnold will work a special “shift” at the first Raising Cane’s restaurant in Seattle, located at 4345 University Way NE.

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This event, scheduled for Tuesday from 3 to 4:15 p.m., offers fans a chance to join in the celebration and get a sneak peek at the highly anticipated restaurant opening on Feb. 17.

During his “shift,” Raising Cane’s says Darnold will engage with fans, serve chicken fingers to a lucky few, and participate in a press conference.

While this is not an official meet-and-greet, select fans in line will have the opportunity to be served by Darnold at the counter.

The event will also feature a special moment in the parking lot, where Darnold will address the crowd, ensuring everyone can partake in the celebration.

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Fans are encouraged to arrive early, dress for the weather, and consider using Uber or other rideshares due to limited parking.

Raising Cane’s is expanding rapidly, with plans to open nearly 100 new locations this year. The Seattle restaurant marks a significant milestone for the brand, bringing its menu to the University District near the University of Washington.

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YesJulz, a social media influencer, has become a topic of discussion after she announced she would expose any married men who slide into her DMs, hinting that a Seattle Seahawks player who won the Super Bowl had slid into her DM.

The social media influencer made this announcement just hours after the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29-13 at Levi’s Stadium, with Kenneth Walker III delivering an MVP performance on the final drive of the night. While the team was celebrating, YesJulz announced that this was one of her personal rules.

“If you slide in my DM’s and I go to your page & see a post with you & you’re wife, I’m screen shotting and sending to her immediately,” she announced on X. “And idgaf if you just won the Super Bowl. It’s time people adopted some morals.”

Although she didn’t mention any of the players, this was just hours after they won, leading many to speculate that a Seahawk had recently slid into YesJulz’s DMs. However, no evidence of this has been given, and no Seahawk was named.

There are many opinions on this: some believe that YesJulz has set some legit boundaries, while others think she wants attention and wants to start some drama.

One of them said, “She just wants people to know that a winner of the Super Bowl is in her DMs. Typical women stuff.” Another one said, “Hoes don’t be quiet no more, that’s the problem.” Then another one said, “Lol. If you’re going to go all out, say who it is. Otherwise, you’re probably lying.” Then another one said, “Julz is the most dangerous woman out because she knows the game. She knows what she looks like and who’s most likely to be attracted to it. So, it’s like 20 thousand married men in her DMs. The ‘girls girl’ act is wild and not believable. You want to be messy.”

Some comments revived rumors that YesJulz was involved with LeBron James. She said that their relationship was only platonic.

The Seahawks and no one from the team commented on this issue. They were still riding high from their Super Bowl win when this happened.

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