The Las Vegas Raiders selected Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after a Heisman- and championship-winning season at Indiana, tabbing him as their quarterback of the future. He was given every opportunity to prove the Raiders made the right call. But throughout training camp and the preseason, he found himself in a genuine competition with veteran Kirk Cousins for the QB1 job.
Both players got their chance to make a case this preseason, and Cousins looked far more like the poised, efficient presence the Raiders need under center. On Wednesday, it became official: head coach Klint Kubiak named Cousins the starting quarterback for Week 1. More news: Aaron Donald Drops Bold Claim About Return to NFL With the Raiders entering a new era under first-time head coach Kubiak — and building around a young core that includes Ashton Jeanty, Brock Bowers, and Mendoza — this is a team focused on long-term success.
Rushing a rookie quarterback who struggled in the preseason would be a risk not worth taking. Instead, Mendoza gets the opportunity to learn behind one of the more accomplished veteran passers in the league. Cousins, 38, is coming off two difficult seasons in Atlanta, but he remains a four-time Pro Bowler who was once among the league's premier pocket passers.
He led the NFL in completion percentage in 2015 (69.8%) and owns a career completion percentage of 66.7%. He's also one of the most clutch quarterbacks of his generation, still holding NFL records for most game-winning drives (eight) and most fourth-quarter comebacks (eight) in a single season — both set in 2022 with the Vikings. Notably, the coach who helped guide him through two of his Pro Bowl seasons in Minnesota is the same one who just named him the starter in Vegas: Kubiak served as the Vikings' quarterbacks coach from 2019–2020 and offensive coordinator in 2021 More news: Joe Burrow Refuses to Hide Bengals’ Super Bowl Expectations More news: Bills Release Super Bowl Champion Right Before the Start of the Season Cousins looked cool, calm, and collected in his two preseason appearances, while Mendoza showed the growing pains of a rookie still adjusting to the speed of the NFL.
Combined with his prior relationship with Kubiak and his familiarity with the offensive system, Cousins' promotion is a move many around the league saw coming. The Raiders open the regular season at home against the Dolphins on Sunday, Sept. 13.
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