Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek, with the ownership’s blessing, invested their future in drafting Fernando Mendoza. As a result, his timeline to seeing the field as a starter started the moment he heard his name called in the spring. Yet, the team still signed veteran starter Kirk Cousins despite locking Mendoza into a guaranteed deal worth more than $50 million. Last season, Vegas quarterbacks ran for their metaphorical lives behind a porous offensive line. Yet the team will ride with Cousins as he attempts to keep his job, while the rookie continues to impress with daily improvement in camp.
GettyHENDERSON, NEVADA – AUGUST 06: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Las Vegas Raiders stretches during the team’s training camp at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center on August 06, 2026 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Cousins in Firm Control
During this year’s camp, Cousins appears to be in full control of the offense and the starting job. ESPN’s Ryan McFadden thinks the Raiders began to outline their plan.
“The Raiders want to keep Mendoza on the sideline until he’s ready … but also until they are ready for him. They weren’t very good on the offensive line last season, for example, and they’d like to see improvement in that area before throwing a rookie QB behind it. That doesn’t mean they’re throwing Cousins out there to take a beating but rather that the 37-year-old veteran is more capable of solving the kinds of problems a rookie might not yet be ready to solve.”
In essence, head coach Klint Kubiak is in no hurry to throw a rookie into the fray unless he’s ready. That said more about the coach’s deliberate thought pattern than Mendoza’s preparedness. For his part, Cousins believes the competition is bringing out the most in himself and Mendoza.
“Good quarterback room,” Cousins told me after practice. “We’ve enjoyed just working together as a group. We have good dialogue every day. I think the organization is positioned well, having drafted Fernando. I’m going to try to hold him off as long as I can, and we’ll see how it goes up ahead.”
GettyHENDERSON, NEVADA – MAY 20: Kirk Cousins #8 and Connor Heyward #34 of the Las Vegas Raiders practice during an OTA offseason workout at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center on May 20, 2026 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Mentorship Through Competition
Despite playing 179 NFL games over 14 seasons, Cousins, by all appearances, seems like he wants to keep Mendoza far away from the starting spot. Under those circumstances, that will help the rookie more than the proverbial teacher-student relationship fiction that many initially hope for. The 37-year-old started his NFL odyssey as a fourth-round pick, sitting behind Robert Griffin III. In essence, he didn’t receive a mentor as a rookie. Instead, he fought for snaps, starting only nine games in his first three seasons.
GettyHENDERSON, NEVADA – AUGUST 06: QuarterbacksFernando Mendoza #15, Aidan O’Connell #12 and Kirk Cousins #8 of the Las Vegas Raiders practice during the team’s training camp at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center on August 06, 2026 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Familiar Face, New Place
Cousins spent the best stretch of his career (six seasons) with the Minnesota Vikings. With a record of 50-37 and three Pro Bowl nods, he found himself. Meanwhile, Kubiak serves as his quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. Basically, Cousins thrived under the current scheme, or at least a reasonable facsimile thereof. Subsequently, there is no need to get him up to speed. Instead, the team can install a strong game plan without alteration.
GettyHENDERSON, NEVADA – JULY 29: Head coach Klint Kubiak of the Las Vegas Raiders watches his team practice during the first practice of the team’s training camp at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center on July 29, 2026 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)
The Long Game
If Cousins can hold the ‘Raiders’ starting job, it will force Mendoza to study more deeply. Plus, the competitive nature of any quarterback means the rookie can learn on the job. Most importantly, the team will not need to start the season at a deficit. Is that enough for the Raiders?
Kirk Cousins Sends Clear Message to Rookie Fernando Mendoza After Raiders Training Camp Reps