The Las Vegas Raiders have named veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins as their starter for the upcoming season opener against the Miami Dolphins, coach Klint Kubiak announced Wednesday. This decision ends the team's quarterback competition, which had largely favored Cousins throughout training camp.
Cousins, 38, received the majority of first-team repetitions and demonstrated greater comfort and efficiency during the preseason compared to rookie Fernando Mendoza. In two preseason appearances, Cousins completed 13 of 17 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown. Mendoza, the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, completed 25 of 45 passes for 240 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions.
While Cousins may not possess the peak arm strength of his earlier career, his experience and understanding of Kubiak's offense provide stability for the Raiders. Cousins has a career completion percentage of 66.7, with 44,700 passing yards, 298 touchdowns, and a passer rating of 96.8. He previously worked with Kubiak for three seasons (2019-2021) with the Minnesota Vikings, where Kubiak served as his quarterbacks coach and later offensive coordinator. During that period, Cousins accumulated 12,089 passing yards and 94 touchdowns.
This familiarity is expected to allow Kubiak to implement his offensive schemes more readily as the Raiders continue to develop their offensive line and evaluate their wide receiver group. The team struggled with creating separation from receivers during the preseason.
The organization's long-term plans for Mendoza remain unchanged. General Manager John Spytek indicated that Mendoza's "time is coming," and the rookie will follow a developmental program designed to prepare him for eventual command of the offense. However, he must continue to earn the opportunity.
Mendoza is anticipated to see playing time at some point during the season. The timing of his debut will likely depend on Cousins' performance and the Raiders' playoff contention. If Cousins keeps the team competitive, he may continue as the starter. However, once games lose postseason significance, or if Mendoza proves to be the superior option, the Raiders are expected to transition to their franchise quarterback. For now, Cousins offers the team the best opportunity to start the season competitively while providing Mendoza the necessary time to develop.