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It may have been his plan since the start of his first year as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, but Klint Kubiak has confirmed who his starting quarterback will be to begin training camp this week.
That’s veteran Kirk Cousins — not Fernando Mendoza, the Raiders’ No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
“When we go to practice tomorrow, Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback. He’s the guy, and he’s going to get a ton of reps. He deserves them because he played really good football,” Kubiak told reporters, via NFL.com. “But I want Fernando and I want Aidan [O’Connell] to push him.”
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Kirk Cousins of the Las Vegas Raiders trains during an OTA offseason workout at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center on June 3, 2026, in Henderson, Nevada. (Getty Images)
Fans and media were not looking forward to Kubiak’s decision, as he was candid with his thoughts after taking over as head coach following a Super Bowl-winning season as offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks last year. But it solidifies the plan, at least to start training camp.
While coaches may run a training camp with players in starting roles, nothing is set in stone until players take the field in week one. And that’s exactly Kubiak’s thought process.
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“For every position there must be competition, right? he added. “The best player has to play, and that’s not just what I’m going to see. You’re going to see it in preseason games. As coaches, we’re going to see who’s the best guard, the best quarterback, across the board.
“There are battles all over the squad. It’s important for me to be fair to the players in order to put the best player there.”
Kubiak has noted in the past that the ideal scenario for the Raiders is for Cousins to start and for Mendoza to develop and learn from the 14-year-old signal-caller ahead of him on the depth chart.
Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins of the Las Vegas Raiders walk on a field during an OTA off-season workout at the Las Vegas Raiders headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, Nevada on June 3, 2026. (Getty Images)
But could things change if Mendoza outperforms Cousins in training camp? As a first-year head coach, there is no history of a similar scenario with Kubiak, but he appears to be willing to evaluate every position, no matter who is in place.
Cousins was signed by the Raiders just days after Mendoza, who won a national championship with Indiana last season, finally heard his name called first overall after months of speculation about what was going to happen.
And while Cousins may be the man atop the depth chart, this will be Mendoza’s team at some point in the future. Kubiak wouldn’t want it to be right away, but if the timing is right for him, his team and the organization, they will hand over the keys to their first overall draft pick.
Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza warm up during mandatory minicamp at the Las Vegas Raiders/Intermountain Health Performance Center headquarters in Henderson, Nevada, June 9, 2026. (Getty Images)
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In the meantime, all three quarterbacks will work hard to build chemistry with their teammates and continue it as training camp begins around the league this week.
The Raiders’ first preseason game will be against the Arizona Cardinals on August 13. They will open the season against the Miami Dolphins on September 13 at home.
