The Las Vegas Raiders are still keeping their quarterback decision under wraps, and Thursday’s preseason win over the Houston Texans didn’t change that.
After the Raiders rallied for a 22-20 comeback victory at Reliant Stadium, head coach Klint Kubiak made it clear the team is in no hurry to settle the matter for 2026.
“We got another week. I don't want anyone to be comfortable in their job,” Kubiak said following the game (h/t Ryan McFadden of ESPN).
That stance came after a rough night for rookie Fernando Mendoza, who started against Houston and struggled to get much going. The former Indiana Hoosiers star and College Football Playoff national champion finished 8-of-15 for 86 passing yards with no touchdowns.
The low point came early in the first quarter, when Mendoza’s throw with a little over eight minutes left was picked off by rookie linebacker Wade Woodaz. Woodaz turned the takeaway into an 80-yard defensive touchdown, giving Mendoza’s ugly sequence a much wider audience.
For now, the quarterback battle in Las Vegas appears to be down to Mendoza and veteran Kirk Cousins, with Cousins looking like the frontrunner. He sat out Week 2 of the preseason, but his first exhibition outing was sharp: 5-of-6 for 50 passing yards and a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals, with no interceptions. Mendoza, in that same game, completed 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown without a pick.
The Raiders have one preseason game left, and it comes Aug. 27 against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
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What stood out, though, was the way Mendoza reacted after the mistake. Instead of easing up, he chased Woodaz and tried to make the tackle before the score was complete, a small but telling detail about how he handled the moment. Troy Aikman also noted on the broadcast that the play may have been the result of a miscommunication rather than a simple misread, which leaves the Raiders with a familiar preseason question - how much of a costly turnover was a quarterback mistake, and how much was just the kind of timing issue young passers have to clean up. [Read more 🡒]
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For a team still sorting out its quarterback pecking order, that kind of finish carries real weight. OConnell has been working to lock down the No. 2 job behind Kirk Cousins, and a poise-filled comeback drive in the preseason is exactly the sort of showing that can tilt a debate in his favor, even if the final call is still waiting to be made. [Read more 🡒]