The Raiders have seen this script before, and the outline is almost eerie.
An established veteran comes in to stabilize the quarterback spot. A rookie waits in the wings. Then the rookie starts making the decision look unavoidable.
Back in 2014, Las Vegas - then Oakland - spent on Matt Schaub and treated him like the starter, while second-round pick Derek Carr was supposed to learn from the sideline. That plan unraveled fast.
A rough preseason outing against Seattle, along with an elbow injury that left Schaub’s arm strength compromised, opened the door for Carr before Week 1. Dennis Allen had said only days earlier that he had no plans to make that move.
Twelve years later, the Raiders are staring at a similar setup.
This offseason, they signed 37-year-old Kirk Cousins in free agency and then used the No. 1 overall pick on Fernando Mendoza, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner who led Indiana to a national title. Klint Kubiak, in his first year as head coach, has made it plain that Cousins will begin the season as the starter. That fits the way the offseason program unfolded, with Cousins working with the first team from OTAs through minicamp.
Cousins is not treating the job like something he can coast through. He’s described his approach as staying sharp every day, saying he tries not to take anything for granted and treats each practice as something that has to be earned.
Kubiak has also said he wants Mendoza and Aidan O’Connell - a fan favorite in the backup role - to keep pressing Cousins on every rep. The idea, Kubiak said, is that a crisp throw or a quick release from the younger quarterbacks should push the veteran to elevate his own game.
Mendoza, though, hasn’t played this like a fight for the throne.
Unlike Carr in 2014, he has avoided turning the quarterback room into a public competition. He’s talked about it as a setup meant to make everyone better, not as a personal battle to win.
That same patience has shown up in the way he’s handled his own timeline. Mendoza has said he’s comfortable waiting, focused on improving each day and learning from the veterans around him instead of forcing an immediate shot.
Even so, the on-field signs have started to turn heads.
After a spring in which his mechanics under center were uneven, Mendoza has looked cleaner in training camp. One example came in a seven-on-seven rep, when he used pre-snap motion with receiver Phillip Dorsett II and fired a tight-window throw that hit in stride.
So the real issue around this quarterback room isn’t whether the change eventually comes. It’s when.
Cousins has been sturdy for most of his career, aside from the Achilles tear that derailed his 2023 season in Minnesota. But the Raiders did not sign him to be the long-term answer.
He’s the bridge. Mendoza is the future sitting right behind him.
And if the season gets off to a slow start - or if it begins to resemble 2014 in all the uncomfortable ways that matter - the noise around a switch will grow louder fast.
For now, Cousins holds the job and Mendoza keeps waiting. But the rookie has a pedigree that won’t let patience stretch forever, and the Raiders know how quickly this kind of arrangement can flip.
If Cousins starts piling up mistakes, the question won’t be whether Mendoza gets a chance. It’ll be why he hasn’t already.
In Other News...
Raiders Camp Is Already Revealing Two Unexpected Depth Chart Battles
After three training camp sessions, the Raiders have already started sorting out a few jobs that could shape the early part of August. The team gets a day off before an open workout, and the first few practices have offered an early look at who is drawing attention. Rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza has stood out, along with Maxx Crosby and cornerback Zeke Masses, while Brandon Johnson has also turned in a strong showing at wide receiver.
There are a couple of quieter competitions worth keeping an eye on as camp goes on. Jermod McCoy has been working with the second and third defensive units while also getting time on special teams, and the fullback spot has its own battle going with Connor Heyward and Patrick Gurd. Decamerion Richardson has also begun to surface in the mix, giving the coaching staff another defender to evaluate as the Raiders keep piecing together the back end of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Kirk Cousins Just Sent A Message In Raiders QB Battle
Training camp has quickly turned into a real quarterback fight in Las Vegas, with Kirk Cousins, Fernando Mendoza and possibly Aidan O'Connell all in the mix as the Raiders sort out who should lead the offense. Cousins has acknowledged the competition and the possibility that Mendoza could get first-team reps in the preseason, while early camp work has also given Mendoza a chance to show why the job is far from settled.
Cousins also made his case on the field during a recent practice, flashing the kind of sharpness that keeps the race very much alive. For the Raiders, that is the point of camp right now: find out whether the veteran presence, the promising young arm or another option can separate before the preseason decisions start to matter even more. [Read more 🡒]