The Raiders’ season has hit a sharp turn, and now one of the biggest questions in Las Vegas is whether the quarterback plan is about to change.
A team that opened 3-0 has now lost four straight after Sunday’s 35-21 home defeat to the Los Angeles Rams. That skid has pushed first-year head coach Klint Kubiak into a conversation the Raiders had hoped to avoid this soon: whether No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza should get on the field faster than planned.
The original idea was straightforward. Kirk Cousins was supposed to open and, in theory, hold the job through the season while Mendoza developed behind him, with a starting opportunity targeted for 2027. But after another loss, Kubiak made it clear that nothing is off the table.
"I think we have to go watch the film," Kubiak said. "I think at this point... we're thinking about everything, how to fix our problems, how to fix our issues in the in the red zone in the third quarter, and personnel scheme. We got to talk about all of it."
Cousins did his part in the loss, finishing 26 of 44 for 295 yards and two touchdowns. Coming into the game, he had thrown for 1,582 yards, 14 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Mendoza has already seen a little game action. In the Raiders’ 45-17 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 5, he completed 6 of 8 passes for 48 yards.
For all the frustration, this isn’t a simple dump-and-advance decision. Las Vegas is still in playoff contention, and the early schedule says a lot about why the record looks the way it does.
The Raiders’ first three wins came against the Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers and New Orleans Saints, teams that have combined for just three wins. Their losses to the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills were by a total of six points.
That’s what makes the quarterback discussion tricky. The Raiders have been competitive with Cousins. No one knows whether they’d stay that way with a rookie under center.
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