The Las Vegas Raiders‘ decision to combine a veteran quarterback in Kirk Cousins, a rookie in Fernando Mendoza, and a new head coach in Klint Kubiak is a gamble. However, one of Kubiak’s former players. Recently, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold opened the blinds, providing fans and media with a look. Darnold, who would have a Super Bowl under Kubiak’s tutelage, praised his former head coach and offered kudos to the Raiders’ moves.
He drew the parallel between Mendoza potentially sitting behind Cousins to himself holding the clipboard for Josh McCown. Danold believes the even demeanor that Kubiak displays is the remedy for the perennially volatile Raiders franchise.
GettyHENDERSON, NEVADA – JUNE 03: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Las Vegas Raiders stretches during an OTA offseason workout at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center on June 03, 2026 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Mendoza Working With the Threes
Normally, quarterbacks taken No. 1 overall do not start their NFL career in camp working with the third string. However, there is a method to Kubiak’s madness. Much like Cousins, Darnold was a journeyman quarterback, of sorts. With stops in New York, Carolina, San Francisco, and Minnesota, he found a home in Seattle. Kubiak understood Darnold’s path and didn’t run from it. Instead, he used that knowledge to craft an offense around him.
GettyHENDERSON, NEVADA – JUNE 09: (L) Dylan Laube #23 and Fernando Mendoza #15 and Aidan O’Connell #12 of the Las Vegas Raiders warmup during mandatory minicamp at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center on June 09, 2026 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Louis Grasse/Getty Images)
Steady as He Goes
If fans of the Raiders expect Kubiak to kick a door in and start yelling, Darnold offers quite the surprise.
“Klint’s going to be great. He’s got such a—I think the biggest thing as a head coach is you’ve got to have a level head on your shoulders. You’ve got to be able to, like, okay, if something goes wrong, he’s never going to overreact to anything. He’s going to keep it steady. I think for the players, that’s such a blessing—to have a guy who’s leading you be able to have that mindset and be able to have that level head is incredible, man.”
The modern player does not vibe with the old-school screamer, chair-throwing. The Jon Gruden template is now archaic and broken. Now, it’s the ability to process through anger and learn from mistakes.
Kubiak Embraces QB Room
When asked, Darnold mentioned what the Raiders’ head coach feels about his current situation.
“He feels great about Mendoza. He loves his quarterback situation there with Kirk as well. Just being able to have, like, Kirk help the rookie is going to be such a blessing for that kid, man. Kind of the same way my rookie year I had Josh McCown, just to be able to have that, that constant, that guy to just be able to bounce things off of.”
Additionally, within most rookies, a seed of doubt gets planted, whether they want it or not. However, Darnold believes that Mendoza is in luck, having Cousins there to offer advice but not to act as a mentor.
“He feels great about Mendoza. He loves his quarterback situation there with Kirk as well. Just being able to have, like, Kirk help the rookie is going to be such a blessing for that kid, man. Kind of the same way my rookie year, I had Josh McCown, just to be able to have that constant, that guy to just be able to bounce things off of.
If Cousins is the Week 1 starter, Kubiak will not change his approach. To him, Mendoza plays when he is ready. The Raiders appear to have a plan.
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