The Las Vegas Raiders are putting experience ahead of immediacy as they begin the 2026 season, handing the starting quarterback job to Kirk Cousins while No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza continues his development.
First-year head coach Klint Kubiak selected the 38-year-old Cousins to lead the offense when Las Vegas opens its season at home against the Miami Dolphins.
The decision delays the beginning of the Mendoza era, but it hardly signals a change in how the Raiders view their prized rookie. Las Vegas drafted the reigning Heisman Trophy winner with the first overall selection with an eye toward making him the franchise’s long-term answer at quarterback.
For now, the Raiders are choosing patience.
Cousins entered training camp as the team’s top quarterback and handled most of the work with the starting offense. He also arrived with an advantage beyond his years of NFL experience: familiarity with Kubiak and his offensive system from their time together in Minnesota.
His preseason work did little to loosen his grip on the job. Cousins completed eight of 11 passes for 51 yards during two drives against San Francisco and also threw a touchdown pass in the preseason opener against Arizona.
Mendoza, meanwhile, spent most of the summer working with the second unit, although the Raiders gave him opportunities with the starters as camp progressed.
The rookie completed 18 of 31 passes for 181 yards during three preseason appearances, throwing one touchdown while also surrendering an interception that was returned for a score. His final appearance against San Francisco was uneven, but Las Vegas officials have remained encouraged by his overall progress and approach.
The Raiders appear determined not to rush their new franchise quarterback simply because of his draft position. The organization had already envisioned allowing Mendoza time to develop before taking control of the offense, and the offseason addition of Cousins gave Las Vegas an experienced option capable of making that plan possible.
Mendoza’s situation is unusual for a quarterback selected at the very top of the draft. He becomes the first No. 1 overall quarterback since Baker Mayfield in 2018 who will not start his team’s opening game as a rookie.
Cousins now gets the first opportunity to stabilize a position that has been anything but stable in Las Vegas.
He will become the Raiders’ ninth starting quarterback since the organization parted ways with longtime starter Derek Carr near the end of the 2022 season. The franchise has also cycled through multiple head coaches and quarterback combinations during that span.
The Raiders are hoping Cousins can interrupt that revolving door while Mendoza prepares for the job the organization ultimately drafted him to take.
For the moment, the veteran has the football.
The future still belongs to the rookie.
