Read the full transcript from HC Jeff Hafley 's postgame media availability on September 11, 2026.
So would you expect to have Will Kacmarek available Sunday?
Jeff Hafley: I do.
And Ronnie Harrison Jr.?
Jeff Hafley: I do.
Great, so a whole roster.
Jeff Hafley: Yeah. We'll practice today, obviously, we got to get through today. But as of this moment, I expect everybody to be available.
To kind of piggyback off of that, we see injury reports, even at the start of the season, be several names long. I guess, to what do you attribute the team's overall health at this point in the season?
Jeff Hafley: I think it's been outstanding. I think Kyle Johnston, Todd (Hunt), both of their staffs, knock on wood, they have done a tremendous job, and I mean everybody in that department. I think the coaches have done a tremendous job, but more importantly, give the players credit because it was a hard camp. It was a long camp. It was a physical camp, but the way they took care of themselves and their bodies and just spent all the extra time in recovery pre and post practice. And then at the same time, there's always going to be a little bit of luck involved, right? I mean, I'm not going to sit here and tell you we have the answers. It's just guys worked really hard. We have good people with them and knock on wood, it stays that way. But you never know, that's just the truth of the matter.
This is going to be a big season for Chop Robinson. Just why do you believe he's ready for this one?
Jeff Hafley: Just because of all the work that he's put in. When you put in hard work and it meets an opportunity, he'll be ready. And that's the one thing I'm so proud of him for. It's why you work so hard. It's all the extra reps and it's everything that he's done to prepare himself where he's got everything in front of him now. Just he needs to go and play as hard and as fast as he can and not think about anything other than that because he's earned it. And that's the most important thing with him and with all the players that we have. But I'm really excited to see him play.
The Raiders made a big investment this offseason in a pair of off-ball linebackers. In what way do Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker expand their defensive menu?
Jeff Hafley: I think the Raiders have done a tremendous job overall in free agency. Whether it's on the defense with those two guys, re-signing Stokes at corner, getting a center, getting Nailor, they've done a really nice job in free agency. So I give the GM and their staff a ton of credit in those regards. And you look at those two linebackers, those are two of the premier linebackers in the league. Quay, especially me knowing Quay and the respect I have for Quay – I mean, he was my green dot for two years. He was the guy in my office early and the guy I spent so much time with. So the respect that I have for him, not only as a player, but as a person. I mean, he's a guy that other than one game a year, I'll root for. He gives them the ability to line him up on the edge, to blitz the back. They have these two big linebackers that can rush and play in zone and take away space because they have speed and they have length. And then the other thing they have is they have two linebackers who have been the green dot. So now Quay won't be wearing it, but he wore it for two years. So they've got two intelligent guys. So it will be a challenge and I'm looking forward to seeing Quay before the game and it'll be a good challenge for us. We're excited.
Sean Duggan was talking about how Jeanty has good contact balance, sometimes he's hard to bring down. Do you think that you will have a good tackling team this season?
Jeff Hafley: We'll see. I mean, we worked really hard at it. And I think when you look at first games and you look around the league, even when you watch the game last night, which I'm sure you guys did, there's a lot of missed tackles early because of the limited contact people have. We tried to probably do as much or if not more contact and tackling than anywhere else I've been in this league. But hopefully you'll just see it get better and better and better. And I'm excited to see how we tackle. I think part of that is how fast, how many guys get to the ball, how hard we play, how many people are at the point of contact so a guy can take a shot because he knows his buddy is right behind him. I mean, that's all part of tackling. But I'm excited to see that part of it. That's Week 1.
Your backup edge players, Robert Beal Jr. and Malik Herring, have, I think, 2.5 career sacks combined. Obviously, stout run stuffers. Why was run defense more the priority seemingly for you and Sully with your backup edges than maybe accomplished pass rushing?
Jeff Hafley: I don't think that was a priority. We're looking to get the best player possible. There's not many edge rushers that are just going to pop up and be available if they're 12-plus sack guys. Those guys usually are really hard to find and there aren't many of them in free agency and if you have an early pick maybe you can get one in the draft but we took the best ends possible. I'm really glad that they're both here. Obviously, Beal got here in OTAs and Herring just got here, so we're trying to get him caught up to our defense. But both guys, just tremendous effort. They put in the work. They're physical dudes. They'll play really hard and I'm excited to have a chance to coach them.
What would you say about Kyle McCord's readiness right now?
Jeff Hafley: We've done some extra stuff with him. We did a developmental period. We really just did a 7-on-7 with that in mind yesterday after practice, not only for him, but for some of the young players that we have that aren't getting the reps. But for the limited amount of time that he's here, we're confident that he can go in the game and run our offense. I think it will get better as we go just for the time on task because in this league it's hard. The starter's going to get the limited reps that you have in practice because we're not doing 50 plays of practice anymore. You know those numbers are knocked down and Malik needs every one of those reps that he can get. But I'm pleased with where he's at right now and hopefully that will continue to develop.
Do you have a preference on opening at home or on the road? Is one or the other better for any reason?
Jeff Hafley: Things that we can't control I kind of don't even think about. Wherever they tell us to play, whatever time, I'm good with. I'm just excited to play.
You could go either way at backup running back, obviously with Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II, both who have made their case. Is that a toss up to you at this point? Will it depend on matchups as far as who gets it when De'Von's resting?
Jeff Hafley: It will depend on all the above. I mean, what play we're running, who runs that play better, what's the down distance? Is it a pass play? Is it a run play? We'll need them both.
Would you expect any elevations tomorrow, barring any injuries today, God forbid?
Jeff Hafley: Possibly, and you're not going to ask who. You want to.
Just because I know you wouldn't share, which I understand for competitive reasons.
Jeff Hafley: I appreciate you not wanting to ask me that question because I know you know my answer to that question. But I appreciate you deep down wanting to know.
In general, what do you think is the best way to manage the practice squad elevation availabilities? There's obviously a huge amount of players and you can do each one up to three times. So in general, what do you think might be the best way to pick and choose?
Jeff Hafley: If there's a guy that we believe is ready and can help us win a game and gives us a better advantage than maybe someone else on the 53, we're going to elevate the guy. It ain't going to be waiting around. I think with the amount of new people that we have on practice squad, we're starting to getting to know some of those players. And if at any moment we feel one of those guys is ready, we're going to elevate them.
Non-football question – today is obviously a big day in America, 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Being a Jersey guy, does that day have any special reference for you?
Jeff Hafley: Yeah, of course. My heart goes out to all those families that were affected. I'm sure, just like you, you remember where you were on that day. I was coaching my first year at WPI and my dad and my brother were both in New York City. And I remember calling my dad and he was still in his office at the time and he didn't even know what happened. And then 20 minutes later, I couldn't get in touch with him, my brother and my cousin. It was a tough day, a really tough day. But certainly today, I have some friends that lost family members that I reached out to them early this morning and my heart definitely goes out to all those families who lost people. When I was at BC, they had the Red Bandana Game, which was a special game to be a part of. I know that will be played tonight. Welles Crowther, who was the man in the red bandana, I texted his mother Alison this morning. Stories like that also come in really tough times. A guy that went back to save people that he didn't even know time and time again, pulling people out of the building and then ultimately losing his life. That's also a good reminder that there is some really good in the world and there's some really good people like him. To all the heroes and all the first responders on days like this, we really appreciate you and there needs to be more people like that.
I know it's just one game, but how difficult will Sunday be against a running back like Jeanty, against a center like Linderbaum, in you're evaluation of Zeek and Jordan as run stoppers?
Jeff Hafley: It's our first opportunity to really evaluate them in our new scheme against a different opponent and I'll look at it just as that. Both of those guys have worked really hard. To me those guys have both put in so much work that they've earned the right to just go play free and whatever happens we'll look at the film. If its good, we'll try to make it better and if it wasn't good enough, we'll do everything in our power to fix it.
I think on Wednesday we heard crowd noise pumped in at the beginning of practice. Is that strictly just something you want to do to get ready for an opposing stadium, or does that have anything to do with just the youth on the team and getting them ready for their first hostile environment?
Jeff Hafley: Well, I think you need to try to simulate the environment that you're going to play in. In certain situations, whether it's special teams, whether the offense is up and say it's third down, for example, it's going to be loud on third down. So we can't just go in there and have it quiet. We need to make it hard for them to hear the call, for them to get up to the line and try to change protection. Do we need to go on silent count? Are they going to be able to hear Malik? And are they going to be able to communicate with each other? We have three rookie receivers standing out there, they might not even be able to hear each other. So they got to learn how to communicate verbal and nonverbal and talk to each other. So we're just trying to get them ready for the chaos that exists in certain situations. So sometimes you do it with crowd noise. Some guys ask if we just turn the music up so loud where they can't hear. I'm indifferent. As long as they can't hear, I'm good with it. But I want to train in a situation that is going to make game day easier.
If there's a challenge, are you going to be the thrower?
Jeff Hafley: Me?
Yeah, I guess they have this rule change where you can designate a red flag thrower.
Jeff Hafley: Yeah I'm going to do it. Unless anyone on my staff, like really it's their dream thing to do, then I'll tell them they can. But I'll do it for now.
How much gum do you go through on a game day?
Jeff Hafley: Probably 20 pieces. I probably go through 15 pieces at practice. I'd be chewing it right now, but I learned a long time ago in public speaking not to have gum in my mouth, or else I'd be blowing bubbles right here.
Are you, like most coaches, a defer to the second half guy when you win a toss?
Jeff Hafley: I would say I am more, how do I think we can win the game? Do I think it benefits us from taking the ball to starting fast? Why? Is the wind gonna play a factor in the game? As a defensive guy, being on defense first sometimes gets me fired up. But I'll do whatever we think we need to do to win the game.
Are your pre-game comments to the team generally brief?
Jeff Hafley: I will get them together and at that moment, the way I usually am and have been, whatever comes out comes out. It's not rehearsed, it's not planned. It's usually you get there, you stand up and something comes out. Sometimes it's a little longer, sometimes it's shorter, sometimes I don't even remember what I said.
What are you most looking forward to on game day?
Jeff Hafley: Watching our guys play. And I mean that. I mean, it has been so much fun getting to know these guys, getting the buy-in from these guys, watching how hard they've worked, watching them connect, even as we brought in all these other players in the last week and a half, watch them kind of bring them in, where I am excited to coach the game, but I'm really excited to watch them play. And I look forward to that on Sunday.
