Cousins Named to Start Raiders Camp Over Mendoza

Kirk Cousins will open training camp as the starting quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders, head coach Klint Kubiak announced Wednesday, deploying the veteran over first overall pick Fernando Mendoza.

Kubiak's decision reflects a deliberate approach to quarterback development. Cousins, a four-time Pro Bowl selection entering his 15th season, signed with the Raiders in the offseason after being released by the Atlanta Falcons. Mendoza, a Heisman Trophy winner taken first in the 2026 draft, will rotate with Aidan O'Connell on the second and third teams during the opening weeks of camp.

According to Kubiak's account to ESPN, Cousins ran the majority of first-team reps during the offseason program and looked "excellent." The coach cited continuity with his quarterback as a factor; Kubiak served as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings from 2019 to 2021, the same three seasons Cousins played there. During that tenure, Cousins posted 12,089 passing yards, 94 touchdowns, and 26 interceptions with a 67.6% completion rate. In 2021, when Kubiak was the offensive coordinator, Cousins threw for 4,221 yards and 33 touchdowns with a 103.1 passer rating and 66.3% completion and was selected to the Pro Bowl.

Kubiak frames his developmental model as mentorship over immediate deployment. "My philosophy is to have a young quarterback play and learn behind a veteran instead of being handed the keys to the offense right away," he told ESPN. That approach finds alignment with general manager John Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady, both of whom share that philosophy on integrating young quarterbacks into NFL offenses.

Yet Kubiak cautioned that quarterback assignments are not fixed. "Rep distribution will be a 'moving target' with certain quarterbacks splitting time between first, second, and third teams," he said. His evaluation of Mendoza will center on intangibles: how the rookie handles adversity, his capacity to correct mistakes, and his demeanor, beyond completion and interception tallies.

Mendoza's path to first-team reps remains open; the camp phase is designed to reveal how a top prospect transitions under pressure and learns in real time.