New Raiders Rumors Reveal Kirk Cousins, Fernando Mendoza QB1 Decision Ahead of 2026 NFL Season

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza will start out his first NFL season backing up veteran signal caller Kirk Cousins.

Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak is expected to name Cousins the team's starter for Week 1 of the 2026 season, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.

Cousins joined the Raiders in early April on a de facto one-year, $20 million deal, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Later that month, the Raiders used the No. 1 pick of the 2026 NFL draft to select Mendoza out of Indiana.

Kubiak said in May whether Cousins, Mendoza or Aidan O'Connell would start the season as QB1 would "reveal itself" over OTAs and minicamp.

He named Cousins the starter ahead of training camp but said he wanted Mendoza and O'Connell "to push" Cousins for the job.

Mendoza got a chance to make that push during an Aug. 14 preseason matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, during which he became the first top pick since Baker Mayfield to throw a touchdown pass in his preseason debut.

Kubiak ultimately decided to go with the more experienced option by turning to Cousins ahead of Week 1.

Cousins played with a younger quarterback during his recent stint with the Atlanta Falcons, where he signed in 2024 shortly before the franchise used a first-round pick on Michael Penix Jr.

With the Falcons, Cousins struggled while playing through injury late in the 2024 season before losing his starting job to Penix.

He ultimately came back to start eight games for the Falcons in 2025, completing 61.7 percent of his passes for 1,721 passing yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions as Penix dealt with injuries and inconsistency.

Unlike in Atlanta, where his former team surprised him by using a first-round pick on Michael Penix Jr., Cousins signed in Las Vegas knowing he would be competing with a rookie for the job.

Kubiak will now hope starting Cousins can give Mendoza more time to learn behind a veteran quarterback before the former Indiana star sees his first NFL action.