The Raiders’ quarterback room is in a solid place early in training camp, and Klint Kubiak made that clear after Friday’s practice.
Kubiak touched on a handful of subjects, but the biggest takeaway was the progress of his quarterbacks. He singled out rookie Fernando Mendoza, who earlier this week said he is treating camp as a learning process and absorbing information and criticism to sharpen the parts of his game that need work. Kubiak praised Mendoza and pointed to his coachability.
That matters for a Las Vegas team that remains one of the league’s harder clubs to pin down heading into the 2026 NFL season. The Raiders are still widely viewed as a rebuilding team, but there’s real reason for optimism in the mix too, from the free-agent activity to the decision to bring in Kubiak as head coach.
At the center of it all is quarterback play. If the Raiders are going to push toward respectability this season, they need steady production under center.
Barring an unexpected injury or something unforeseen, Kirk Cousins is lined up to start Week 1. If he can keep the offense competent and on schedule, Las Vegas has a real chance to stay in the hunt in 2026.
As for Mendoza, the plan has been to sit him from the beginning. That may not thrill every Raiders fan, but the coaching staff is clearly focused on his long-term growth rather than forcing him into action too soon. For now, the message from camp is simple: the quarterback room is moving in the right direction, and the next few weeks will be about keeping that momentum going.
In Other News...
Fernando Mendoza Is Forcing A Raiders Camp Question They Can't Ignore
Training camp has already given the Raiders a few encouraging signs on offense, with Brock Bowers, Ashton Jeanty, Kolton Miller and Tyler Linderbaum all drawing praise for the way they are fitting into the mix. The early returns also suggest Las Vegas may have found some real muscle on the defensive side, where new faces like Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean and Kwity Paye are expected to raise the level of the front seven, while Tonka Hemingway has started to look like a potential force up front. Even the secondary appears to have taken a step through the offseason, though there are still a few position battles to sort out.
Amid all of that, Fernando Mendoza has become one of the most interesting storylines in camp. The first overall pick is still spending most of his time with the second unit, but the traits he is showing are hard to ignore and are beginning to press the bigger question the Raiders have to answer at quarterback. In a camp full of movement, depth chart tinkering and optimism around the roster, Mendozas progress is making it increasingly clear that this part of the roster could shape the rest of the summer. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Receiver Battle Just Got More Complicated For Dont'e Thornton
The fourth day of Raiders training camp brought another look at an offense still sorting through its pieces, with the staff spending time on specific game plans and quarterbacks under the microscope. Mendoza had a rough practice, capped by an interception returned for a touchdown, while veteran Kirk Cousins continues to be part of the quarterback conversation as the team works through its early camp evaluation.
For Dont'e Thornton, the day added another layer to a receiver battle that was already going to be competitive. He has the size and upside to keep in the mix, but camp moments like this matter, especially when the Raiders are trying to narrow down roles and build consistency. He still has time to develop, yet practices like this one are reminders that every rep is being watched closely. [Read more 🡒]
Jackson Powers-Johnson Gets A Defining Raiders Chance He Can't Waste
Jackson Powers-Johnson enters this season at a pivotal point in his young Raiders career, with the team still trying to sort out what his best role looks like after injuries and coaching changes slowed his development. The upside has always been clear, and Las Vegas has continued to view him as a lineman worth investing in as it reshapes the interior of the offensive line.
John Spytek has backed that belief publicly, and the next step is for Powers-Johnson to turn that support into a job he can keep. He is in the mix at right guard and will have to win the competition for the spot, with the Raiders asking him to show the consistency and reliability that were harder to establish during the turmoil around him. [Read more 🡒]