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That may have been his plan all along heading into his first year as Las Vegas Raiders head coach, but Klint Kubiak 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 out 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’s played really good football,” Kubiak told the press 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 practices during an OTA offseason workout at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center on June 3, 2026 in Henderson, Nev. (Getty Images)
Fans and media did not anxiously await Kubiak’s decision, as he has been straightforward with his thoughts after taking over as head coach following a Super Bowl-winning season as the Seattle Seahawks’ offensive coordinator last year. But this maintains the plan, at least to begin training camp.
While coaches can lead training camp with players in starting roles, nothing is final until the players take the field in Week 1. And that’s exactly Kubiak’s thought process.
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“For every position there has to be competition, right?” he added. “The best player is going to play, and that’s not just what I’m going to see. You’re going to see it in the preseason games. We as coaches are going to see who the best guard is, the best quarterback, across the board.
“There are games all over the roster. It’s important for me to be fair to the players to put the best player out there.”
Kubiak has previously noted that the ideal scenario for the Raiders is for Cousins to start and 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 offseason workout at the Las Vegas Raiders headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, Nev., on June 3, 2026. (Getty Images)
But could things change if Mendoza outperforms Cousins in training camp? As a first-year head coach, there isn’t a track record of a similar scenario with Kubiak, but he seems ready to evaluate each position regardless of who is in place.
Cousins was signed by the Raiders just days after Mendoza, who won a national championship with Indiana this past season, finally heard his name called first overall after months of speculation that it would 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 didn’t want it to be right away, but if the time feels right for himself, his staff and the organization, they will provide the keys to their top draft pick.
Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza warm up during mandatory minicamp at the Las Vegas Raiders headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, Nev., on June 9, 2026. (Getty Images)
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Meanwhile, all three quarterbacks will work hard to build chemistry with their teammates and get after it as training camp begins across the league this week.
The Raiders’ first preseason contest will be against the Arizona Cardinals on August 13. They open the season against the Miami Dolphins on September 13 at home.
