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See the full story · 2 sourcesFernando Mendoza will have to fight to earn the starting quarterback job in his first NFL training camp and preseason.
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak said on Tuesday, July 28 that veteran Kirk Cousins will open training camp as the team's starting quarterback. Mendoza, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft , will begin camp behind Cousins on the Raiders ' depth chart.
"When we go out to practice [Wednesday], Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback," Kubiak said. "He's the guy, and he's gonna get a ton of reps. And he deserves it because he's played really good football. But I want Fernando and Aidan [O'Connell] to push him."
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#Raiders HC Klint Kubiak says Kirk Cousins is “the guy” to start training camp but “I want Fernando (Mendoza) and I want Aidan (O’Connell) to push him.” pic.twitter.com/8vhR3sEYGg
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 28, 2026
FERNANDO MENDOZA: Top pick reports to Raiders camp, signs contract
Cousins, who signed with Las Vegas in free agency, played most of the first-team reps with the Raiders during spring workouts (OTAs and mandatory minicamp). Mendoza split time with the second- and third-teams in the spring.
Cousins, 37, has long been expected to be the Week 1 starter for the Raiders despite Mendoza's selection as the top pick in the draft. Since Las Vegas signed the veteran in April, Kubiak – along with general manager John Spytek and Raiders minority owner Tom Brady – said they believed in giving Mendoza time to sit and learn from Cousins before getting his shot as a starter.
Most recently, Cousins was with the Atlanta Falcons as a bridge quarterback to 2024 first-rounder Michael Penix Jr . He started 14 games for Atlanta in 2024 before handing over the reins for the final three games of the season. In 2025, Cousins appeared in 10 games (eight starts) as Penix's season ended early with a torn ACL.
The 2026 season will be Cousins' 15th in the NFL and first in Las Vegas after six years in Washington, six years with the Minnesota Vikings and two years with the Falcons.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kirk Cousins, not Fernando Mendoza, will be QB1 to start Raiders training camp
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