The Las Vegas Raiders have been operating as if Kirk Cousins will be the starting quarterback in Week 1 this season. He has been honest about the fact that he still has to earn the job, but the team seems to be favoring starting him.
However, it’s not going to be easy to hold onto that job. The Raiders used the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Fernando Mendoza. He’s an exciting young quarterback prospect, so there are going to be plenty of people eager to see him on the field.
Mendoza played well in his first preseason action against the Arizona Cardinals, which has led to more speculation that he could win the starting job. According to CBS Sports’ Zachary Pereles, Cousins is already on the hot seat.
“The Raiders brought in Kirk Cousins to be on the hot seat. The sooner Fernando Mendoza takes the reins, the better; it’s not like in 2024, when the Falcons stunned him (and everyone) by taking Penix,” Pereles wrote. “But that doesn’t mean Cousins is just going to roll over and give up his spot. It’s crucial for him to provide a good offensive environment for not only Mendoza, but also RB Ashton Jeanty, TE Brock Bowers and a plethora of young wide receivers.
“Plus, Cousins will want to prove he still belongs; he didn’t play that poorly in Atlanta last year, even if his time there as a whole didn’t go to plan. Cousins will gladly take another starting opportunity at this stage in his career, no matter how hot the seat.”
Mendoza Getting More Reps With Starters
For a time, it looked like the Raiders might start Cousins in Week 1 no matter how Mendoza looked in training camp. It’s now looking like they could be open to the idea of giving him the start nod.
In the first joint practice against the Houston Texans, Mendoza got a number of reps with the first team. That’s notable because these joint practices are taken very seriously. It’s the closest the Raiders will get to real game action before the regular season.
The team wouldn’t have given Mendoza reps against their starting defense if they weren’t considering giving him the starting nod. It wasn’t a perfect practice, as Mendoza did throw a pick-six, but the Texans might have the best defense in the NFL.
Preseason Performances May Not Matter Much
While Mendoza looked good in that first preseason game, the Raiders may not weigh that too heavily when making their decision. He was playing against the backups for one of the NFL’s worst defenses.
Former NFL scout and current draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah doesn’t think preseason success is a good indicator of future regular season success.
“You can absolutely help yourself and win jobs/roster spots,” Jeremiah told The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen. “I’m saying it doesn’t provide any guarantee of regular-season success. Doesn’t mean it can’t happen. Guys like (Tony) Romo & Russell Wilson are two that come to mind. For every one of those, I could give you 10 guys that crushed preseason and didn’t do much in the regular season.”
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