The Raiders have made their call for Week 1, and it’s the veteran they brought in this offseason.
Kirk Cousins will open the 2026 NFL season as Las Vegas’ starting quarterback, with head coach Klint Kubiak making the expected decision after the preseason wrapped up. Ryan McFadden of ESPN reported from Raiders practice that Kubiak had settled on Cousins for the opener.
"Raiders HC Klint Kubiak has named Kirk Cousins the starting QB for Week 1," McFadden reported from Raiders' practice.
That means Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, will have to wait for his first NFL snap. The plan around him has pointed in that direction from the start, with the Raiders apparently aiming to let him sit, learn the system, and adjust before handing him the job.
It’s a path plenty of teams have taken with high-end quarterback talent. The source points to Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love, and Patrick Mahomes as examples of quarterbacks who also spent time waiting before taking over.
For now, though, Cousins is the one who will steer the offense out of the gate. Las Vegas opens against the Miami Dolphins, and the early schedule doesn’t exactly scream easy runway for a midseason switch.
After Miami, the Raiders are lined up for the Los Angeles Chargers, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, and New England Patriots. Later, Week 6 brings the Buffalo Bills and Week 7 the Los Angeles Rams, two more games that could keep the Raiders from rushing Mendoza into action.
If Las Vegas decides to hold off until after its Week 13 bye, Mendoza’s first chances could come at home against the Chargers, Broncos, and Titans, before the season closes on the road against the Arizona Cardinals and Chiefs.
So while the wait continues for Mendoza’s debut, the Raiders will begin the year with Cousins running the show.
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Raiders QB Plan Already Comes With One Big Problem
The Raiders have already settled one of the biggest questions of their 2026 offseason, and the answer comes with a familiar kind of comfort. Klint Kubiak is going with Kirk Cousins as the starter over rookie Fernando Mendoza and Aidan OConnell, banking on Cousins experience and leadership to steady a team that has spent too much time searching for stability under center.
But the move only makes sense if the protection holds up, and that is where the real concern starts to creep in. Las Vegas is still dealing with questions along the offensive line, and if that group cannot keep the pocket clean, the safer long-term bet may wind up being Mendoza anyway, especially if the Raiders want a quarterback who can grow with whatever comes next. [Read more 🡒]
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Mike Sullivans arrival as quarterbacks coach adds another layer to the reset, giving the staff a veteran voice with plenty of NFL experience and a prior working relationship with offensive coordinator Kubiak. It is the kind of staff reshaping that tells you the Raiders did not view last seasons offensive problems as a matter of one bad stretch or one injured player, but as something deeper that needed a full coaching rethink. [Read more 🡒]