Raiders new head coach Klint Kubiak names Kirk Cousins starting QB over No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza

It whitethorn person been his program each on heading into his archetypal twelvemonth arsenic the Las Vegas Raiders caput coach, but Klint Kubiak confirmed who his starting backmost volition beryllium to statesman grooming campy this week.

It’s seasoned Kirk Cousins – not Fernando Mendoza, the Raiders’ No. 1 wide prime successful the 2026 NFL Draft.

"When we spell retired to signifier tomorrow, Kirk Cousins successful the starting quarterback. He’s the guy, and he’s going to get a ton of reps. He deserves them due to the fact that he’s played truly bully football," Kubiak told the press, via NFL.com. "But I privation Fernando and I privation Aidan [O’Connell] to propulsion him."

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Kirk Cousins of the Las Vegas Raiders practices during an OTA offseason workout astatine the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center connected June 3, 2026, successful Henderson, Nev. (Getty Images)

Fans and media weren’t waiting anxiously for Kubiak’s decision, arsenic he’s been straightforward with his thoughts aft taking implicit arsenic caput manager pursuing a Super Bowl-winning play arsenic the Seattle Seahawks’ violative coordinator past year. But this solidifies the plan, astatine slightest to statesman grooming camp.

While coaches tin pb grooming campy with players successful starting roles, thing is last until players locomotion connected the gridiron Week 1. And that’s precisely Kubiak’s thought process.

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"For each position, there’s gotta beryllium competition, right?" helium added. "The champion subordinate has to play, and that’s not conscionable what I’m gonna see. You guys are gonna spot it successful the preseason games. We arsenic coaches, we’re gonna spot who the champion defender is, the champion quarterback, crossed the board.

"There’s battles everyplace connected the roster. It’s important for maine to beryllium just to the players to enactment the champion subordinate retired there."

Kubiak has noted successful the past that the perfect script for the Raiders is Cousins starting and Mendoza processing and learning from the 14-year signal-caller up of him connected the extent chart.

Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins of the Las Vegas Raiders locomotion connected a tract during an OTA offseason workout astatine the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center successful Henderson, Nev., connected June 3, 2026. (Getty Images)

But could things alteration if Mendoza is outperforming Cousins successful grooming camp? As a first-year caput coach, determination isn’t a way grounds of a akin script with Kubiak, but helium seems to beryllium acceptable to measure each presumption nary substance who’s successful place.

Cousins was signed by the Raiders conscionable days aft Mendoza, who won a nationalist title with Indiana this past season, yet heard his sanction called archetypal wide aft months of speculation it was going to happen.

And portion Cousins whitethorn beryllium the antheral atop the extent chart, this volition beryllium Mendoza’s squad astatine immoderate constituent successful the future. Kubiak wouldn’t privation it to beryllium close away, but if the clip feels close for himself, his unit and the organization, they volition manus the keys to their apical draught choice.

Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza lukewarm up during mandatory minicamp astatine the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center successful Henderson, Nev., connected June 9, 2026. (Getty Images)

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In the meantime, each 3 quarterbacks volition beryllium moving hard to physique chemistry with their teammates and get aft it arsenic grooming campy begins crossed the league this week.

The Raiders’ archetypal preseason contention volition beryllium against the Arizona Cardinals connected Aug. 13. They volition unfastened the play against the Miami Dolphins connected Sept. 13 astatine home.

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