Kirk Cousins Named Raiders Starter: Why Fernando Mendoza Is QB2
Kirk Cousins will start the Las Vegas Raiders' 2026 opener, while Fernando Mendoza - the No. 1 overall pick in April - opens his rookie season as the backup. Head coach Klint Kubiak announced the decision Wednesday morning, Sept. 2, after practice. The choice is a vote for the 38-year-old veteran's readiness, not a rejection of the franchise's future quarterback.
The Raiders' official announcement says Cousins earned the job with a strong offseason and training camp. In two preseason appearances, he completed 13 of 17 passes for 101 yards and one touchdown, a 76.5 percent completion rate. Mendoza finished the preseason 25 of 45 for 240 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, according to NBC Sports. The rookie showed arm talent and composure, but he also gave Las Vegas reasons to let his development continue without the pressure of an immediate Week 1 start.
That makes the short-term answer clear: Cousins is QB1 for the Sept. 13 home opener against Miami, which appears in Football Nation's complete 2026 Week 1 schedule. The longer-term answer remains open. Mendoza is still the player the Raiders selected first overall, and Cousins is the bridge who gives Kubiak time to decide when the rookie is truly ready.
Why the Raiders chose Cousins
Kubiak's offense asks the quarterback to control the huddle, marry footwork to timing and protect the ball. The Raiders' current Cousins profile lists him as No. 8 and entering his 15th season. He brings 167 career starts, 44,700 passing yards, 298 touchdowns and 88 wins. That experience matters for a new coaching staff trying to establish its system before games count.
It also matters that Cousins played efficiently in August. Las Vegas did not need him to win the job with spectacular throws; it needed him to show that the offense could function cleanly. The veteran did that. The result follows the direction the competition had been taking even when Mendoza received first-team reps and created legitimate intrigue in camp.
Quarterback | 2026 preseason passing | NFL experience entering Week 1 | Opening role |
Kirk Cousins | 13-of-17, 101 yards, 1 TD | 167 career starts | Starter |
Fernando Mendoza | 25-of-45, 240 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT | Rookie, No. 1 overall pick | Backup |
Sources: Las Vegas Raiders, Reuters and NBC Sports. Opening role reflects the Sept. 2 announcement and is not a season-long guarantee.
The most important part of the decision is what it does not mean. Las Vegas did not spend the first pick on Mendoza to make him a permanent understudy. The club is choosing a development plan that protects him from being forced onto the field before his command of the offense matches his talent.
What changes for Fernando Mendoza
Mendoza now moves from competing for every first-team snap to preparing as the next quarterback up. That should give him a more stable weekly routine: study Cousins' plan, run the reserve offense and be ready if the veteran is injured or the team needs a change.
The rookie's preseason was uneven enough to support patience. His interception return for a touchdown became the loudest negative moment, but one play should not define the evaluation. He also produced useful reps in his first preseason game and continued to earn opportunities throughout camp. The Raiders can now coach those mistakes without asking Mendoza to solve them in a regular-season game immediately.
There is a practical benefit, too. Cousins has spent years in timing-based systems related to Kubiak's offense. Mendoza can watch how a veteran sets protections, handles the play clock and responds when a defense changes the picture after the headset cuts off. Those details rarely generate highlights, but they separate a talented rookie from a dependable NFL starter.
The strongest counterpoint
The risk is that Las Vegas becomes too comfortable with the bridge plan. If Cousins is only adequate while the Raiders fall behind in the standings, every mistake will intensify calls for Mendoza. A first overall pick does not sit quietly in the public conversation, especially if he flashes in practice or the offense struggles to create explosive plays.
Cousins also is not coming off a flawless late-career run. ESPN's report on the decision places the Week 1 call in that broader competition. The Raiders are betting that the quarterback they saw in this offseason program is a better indicator than the inconsistency that ended his Atlanta tenure. Naming him the opener starter settles one question, but it does not guarantee he keeps the job for 17 games.
Training camp already carried enough competitive intensity to produce the Cousins-Maxx Crosby practice confrontation. That uncertainty is why Kubiak's wording matters: Cousins earned the start. The role is based on current performance, and current performance can change.
Fantasy football impact
Cousins is a matchup-based fantasy option rather than an automatic one-quarterback-league starter. Brock Bowers remains the most attractive Raiders pass catcher because a veteran quarterback should support his weekly target quality. Tre Tucker and the rest of the receiving group gain a little stability, while Ashton Jeanty's value remains driven by health and workload more than by this quarterback decision.
Mendoza belongs on watch lists in standard leagues and on benches in dynasty and deep superflex formats. His path to the lineup is not closed; it is simply delayed. Managers should not spend a normal redraft roster spot on him unless their format rewards stashing high-upside quarterbacks.
The next checkpoint
The next factual test is Miami week. Cousins must carry the clean operation from preseason into a full game plan against the Dolphins on Sept. 13. Football Nation's Raiders-Texans preseason preview showed the same veteran-versus-development split earlier in August. Watch the Raiders' official depth chart, practice participation and Kubiak's comments, but treat Cousins as the starter unless the team says otherwise.
After that, the real checkpoint is performance. If Las Vegas protects the football and stays competitive, Mendoza can develop without a countdown. If the offense stalls, the rookie conversation will return quickly.
Football Nation's verdict: starting Cousins is the sensible Week 1 decision. His experience gives Kubiak the best chance to install the offense without turning Mendoza's development into a weekly referendum. But this is a bridge, not a burial. The Raiders should keep the standard clear: Cousins plays while he gives them the best chance to win, and Mendoza plays when his command - or the veteran's performance - makes the change unavoidable.
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